Tony Dow, Who Played Wally Cleaver on ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ Dies at 77

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tony-dow-played-wally-cleaver-160455094.html

Tony Dow, the actor and director best known for playing the stalwart older
brother Wally Cleaver to Jerry Mathers’ Beaver in the iconic series “Leave
It to Beaver,” has died. He was 77.

His official Facebook page posted that he died Tuesday morning. “It is with
an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved
Tony this morning. Tony was a beautiful soul – kind, compassionate, funny
and humble,” read the message from his management team.

Dow and his wife Lauren announced in May that his cancer, which he had been
diagnosed with years before, had returned.

Dow was born in Hollywood and his mother was an early stunt woman and
double for Clara Bow. He was a Junior Olympics diving champion, but didn’t
have much showbiz experience when he tagged along with a friend and ended
up auditioning for and winning the role of Wally. “Leave it to Beaver”
began airing in 1957 and ran until 1963. The popular black-and-white
sitcom, centered around the typical idealized family of the time, followed
the adventures of mischievous young Beaver, his practical brother Wally,
their devious friend Eddie Haskell, and their long-suffering but
understanding parents played by Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont.

The show’s writers, Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly, based the characters on
their own children, incorporating such details as Wally’s constant
hair-combing they observed in their own teenagers. As the show came to an
end, Wally was about to start college while Beaver was ready for high
school.

Dow returned in the 1980s for the TV movie “Still the Beaver” and series
“The New Leave It to Beaver,” for which he also directed five episodes and
wrote one.

He moved into writing, producing and directing while continuing to act, and
helmed several episodes of “Harry and the Hendersons,” “Coach,” “Babylon
5,” “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and an episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine.”

After “Leave It to Beaver,” Dow appeared on series including “General
Hospital,” “Mr. Novak,” “Never Too Young,” “Lassie,” “Love, American
Style,” “Square Pegs” and “The Love Boat,” on which he played himself. He
also played himself in the 2003 comedy “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,”
which featured cameos of dozens of former young actors, and appeared in the
John Landis skit comedy feature “The Kentucky Fried Movie.”

Dow battled depression in his 20s, making the self-help video “Beating the
Blues” to help others, and later survived two bouts of cancer. He also
became a sculptor and started a construction company.

He is survived by his wife Lauren and two children.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

In article
<1832136458.680549890.905132.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>,
anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

> Tony Dow, Who Played Wally Cleaver on 'Leave It to Beaver,' Dies at 77
>
> https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tony-dow-played-wally-cleaver-
> 160455094.html
>
> Tony Dow, the actor and director best known for playing the stalwart older
> brother Wally Cleaver to Jerry Mathers' Beaver in the iconic series "Leave
> It to Beaver," has died. He was 77.
>
> His official Facebook page posted that he died Tuesday morning. "It is with
> an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved
> Tony this morning. Tony was a beautiful soul - kind, compassionate, funny
> and humble," read the message from his management team.
>
> Dow and his wife Lauren announced in May that his cancer, which he had been
> diagnosed with years before, had returned.
>
> Dow was born in Hollywood and his mother was an early stunt woman and
> double for Clara Bow. He was a Junior Olympics diving champion, but didn't
> have much showbiz experience when he tagged along with a friend and ended
> up auditioning for and winning the role of Wally. "Leave it to Beaver"
> began airing in 1957 and ran until 1963. The popular black-and-white
> sitcom, centered around the typical idealized family of the time, followed
> the adventures of mischievous young Beaver, his practical brother Wally,
> their devious friend Eddie Haskell, and their long-suffering but
> understanding parents played by Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont.
>
> The show's writers, Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly, based the characters on
> their own children, incorporating such details as Wally's constant
> hair-combing they observed in their own teenagers. As the show came to an
> end, Wally was about to start college while Beaver was ready for high
> school.
>
> Dow returned in the 1980s for the TV movie "Still the Beaver" and series
> "The New Leave It to Beaver," for which he also directed five episodes and
> wrote one.
>
> He moved into writing, producing and directing while continuing to act, and
> helmed several episodes of "Harry and the Hendersons," "Coach," "Babylon
> 5," "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space
> Nine."
>
> After "Leave It to Beaver," Dow appeared on series including "General
> Hospital," "Mr. Novak," "Never Too Young," "Lassie," "Love, American
> Style," "Square Pegs" and "The Love Boat," on which he played himself. He
> also played himself in the 2003 comedy "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,"
> which featured cameos of dozens of former young actors, and appeared in
> the John Landis skit comedy feature "The Kentucky Fried Movie."
>
> Dow battled depression in his 20s, making the self-help video "Beating the
> Blues" to help others, and later survived two bouts of cancer. He also
> became a sculptor and started a construction company.
>
> He is survived by his wife Lauren and two children.

:( I know Beaumont, Billingsley and Osmond are gone, wonder if any of
the "kid regulars" other than Mathers are still alive.

Just thought of one at least -- Tim Matheson (who went by "Tim
Matheisson" back then I believe). I saw him interviewed for some new
project very recently.

In article <super70s-A198BF.13473326072022@reader5.news.weretis.net>,
super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote:

> :( I know Beaumont, Billingsley and Osmond are gone, wonder if any of
> the "kid regulars" other than Mathers are still alive.
>
> Just thought of one at least -- Tim Matheson (who went by "Tim
> Matheisson" back then I believe). I saw him interviewed for some new
> project very recently.

Harry Shearer, of course. He's 78 now.

A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
> In article <super70s-A198BF.13473326072022@reader5.news.weretis.net>,
> super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote:
>
>> :( I know Beaumont, Billingsley and Osmond are gone, wonder if any of
>> the "kid regulars" other than Mathers are still alive.
>>
>> Just thought of one at least -- Tim Matheson (who went by "Tim
>> Matheisson" back then I believe). I saw him interviewed for some new
>> project very recently.
>
>
> Harry Shearer, of course. He's 78 now.
>

Whitey and Gilbert aren’t shown as deceased on Ian‘s IMDB article.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

In article
<1832136458.680549890.905132.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>,
anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

> After ³Leave It to Beaver,² Dow appeared on series including ³General
> Hospital,² ³Mr. Novak,² ³Never Too Young,² ³Lassie,² ³Love, American
> Style,² ³Square Pegs² and ³The Love Boat,² on which he played himself. He
> also played himself in the 2003 comedy ³Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,²
> which featured cameos of dozens of former young actors, and appeared in the
> John Landis skit comedy feature ³The Kentucky Fried Movie.²

He played Wally again in that last one, opposite one of the filmmakers
playing Beaver.

I caught a Dr. Kildare that Tony was in. He played a boyfriend who'd
gotten his girlfriend pregnant. The girl's just been diagnosed,
although I don't remember why she was at the hospital. All-American
Tony shows up with flowers at the end of the tease, and wacky hijinks
ensue.

In article
<184059700.680557124.299301.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>,
anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

> A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
> > In article <super70s-A198BF.13473326072022@reader5.news.weretis.net>,
> > super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote:
> >
> >> :( I know Beaumont, Billingsley and Osmond are gone, wonder if any of
> >> the "kid regulars" other than Mathers are still alive.
> >>
> >> Just thought of one at least -- Tim Matheson (who went by "Tim
> >> Matheisson" back then I believe). I saw him interviewed for some new
> >> project very recently.
> >
> >
> > Harry Shearer, of course. He's 78 now.
> >
>
> Whitey

Died at 54 in 2003 of hepatitis after a really rough drug-ridden
adulthood. IMDb says he had two funerals.

> and Gilbert

Still alive at 73. He probably stayed the hell away from Whitey.

> aren¹t shown as deceased on IanŒs IMDB article.

Tony Dow's wife says she made a mistake over her husband's illness and
didn't realize that he hadn't died. He's in hospice care at home.

The death notice retraction was pointed out in alt.obituaries.

https://abc7news.com/tony-dow-leave-it-to-beaver-actor-obituary/12074271/

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
> Tony Dow's wife says she made a mistake over her husband's illness and
> didn't realize that he hadn't died. He's in hospice care at home.
>
> The death notice retraction was pointed out in alt.obituaries.
>
> https://abc7news.com/tony-dow-leave-it-to-beaver-actor-obituary/12074271/
>

Wow. We have a new benchmark for “as wrong as Ian”

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
> Tony Dow's wife says she made a mistake over her husband's illness and
> didn't realize that he hadn't died. He's in hospice care at home.
>
> The death notice retraction was pointed out in alt.obituaries.
>
> https://abc7news.com/tony-dow-leave-it-to-beaver-actor-obituary/12074271/
>

From Tony Dow’s official Facebook page:

URGENT UPDATE:

This morning Tony's wife Lauren, who was very distraught, had notified us
that Tony had passed and asked that we notify all his fans. As we are sure
you can understand, this has been a very trying time for her. We have since
received a call from Tony's daughter-in-law saying that while Tony is not
doing well, he has not yet passed. Tony's son Christopher and his
daughter-in-law Melissa have also been by his side comforting him, and we
will keep you posted on any future updates..

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

On 2022-07-26 4:12 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> Tony Dow's wife says she made a mistake over her husband's illness and
> didn't realize that he hadn't died. He's in hospice care at home.
>
> The death notice retraction was pointed out in alt.obituaries.
>
> https://abc7news.com/tony-dow-leave-it-to-beaver-actor-obituary/12074271/

To paraphrase Mark Twain: "Rumours of his death were somewhat
exaggerated...."

--
Rhino

In article <260720221608080586%nope@noway.com>,
A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:

> In article
> <184059700.680557124.299301.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>,
> anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > A Friend <nope@noway.com> wrote:
> > > In article <super70s-A198BF.13473326072022@reader5.news.weretis.net>,
> > > super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote:
> > >
> > >> :( I know Beaumont, Billingsley and Osmond are gone, wonder if any of
> > >> the "kid regulars" other than Mathers are still alive.
> > >>
> > >> Just thought of one at least -- Tim Matheson (who went by "Tim
> > >> Matheisson" back then I believe). I saw him interviewed for some new
> > >> project very recently.
> > >
> > >
> > > Harry Shearer, of course. He's 78 now.
> > >
> >
> > Whitey
>
>
> Died at 54 in 2003 of hepatitis after a really rough drug-ridden
> adulthood. IMDb says he had two funerals.
>
>
> > and Gilbert
>
>
> Still alive at 73. He probably stayed the hell away from Whitey.

Looks like the hapless Lumpy has been dead for almost 10 years.

Angela Cartwright (Lumpy's sister Violet) is still around I know, I saw
her on an episode of Collector's Corner on MeTV a few weeks back.

Also apparently still with us is Beaver's best friend Larry in the early
episodes, Rusty Stevens.

This is pretty funny, from wikipedia:

"Stevens was reported to have left the show in 1960 because his family
moved from Burbank to Philadelphia.[1] Barbara Billingsley, who played
"June Cleaver" on the series, said in a TV Archive interview that
Stevens was fired because his overbearing stage mother caused grief for
the producers of the series.[2]"

From Tony Dow’s official Facebook page, one hour ago:

Dear Family, Friends, & Fans

We have received confirmation from Christopher, Tony’s son, that Tony
passed away earlier this morning, with his loving family at his side to see
him through this journey.

We know that the world is collectively saddened by the loss of this
incredible man. He gave so much to us all and was loved by so many. One fan
said it best—“It is rare when there is a person who is so universally loved
like Tony.”

Our heart goes out to Tony’s wife, Lauren, who will miss her soulmate of 42
years…To his son, Christopher, who will dearly miss his father, who was
also his best friend…to his daughter-in-law, Melissa, who loved him like
her own father…To his Granddaughter, Tyla, who will undoubtedly carry on
her Grandfather’s kind soul, To his Brother Dion and Sister-in-Law, Judy,
and to all of his extended family and friends. Words cannot express how
much we will all feel his absence, but will cherish the memories he left to
each and every one of us.

Christopher has stated: Although this is a very sad day, I have comfort and
peace that he is in a better place. He was the best Dad anyone could ask
for. He was my coach, my mentor, my voice of reason, my best friend, my
best man in my wedding, and my hero. My wife said something powerful and
shows the kind of man he was. She said: “Tony was such a kind man. He had
such a huge heart and I’ve never heard Tony say a bad or negative thing
about anyone.”

We respectfully ask that everyone give the family privacy in their time of
mourning.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.