WALLY CLEAVER

“Leave It to Beaver” actor Tony Dow has died.

Tony Dow, who played Wally Cleaver on the hit TV show Leave It To Beaver, has died at 77. He had cancer.

Actor Tony Dow was 12 years old when he took on the role of big brother Wally Cleaver on the iconic 1950s TV series.

Tony Dow, who delighted audiences as big brother Wally Cleaver on the '50s and '60s sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” died Tuesday at age 77. The actor announced in May that he was battling cancer, and in an update last week, Dow’s management team said he was experiencing complications from the disease. “Tony was a beautiful soul — kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just ...

Tony Dow, best known for his acting role as Wally Cleaver in the iconic series “Leave It to Beaver,” has been placed in hospice and is “in his last hours,” according to the TODAY Show.

The sitcom, which depicted an idyllic suburban American household, became a cultural touchstone of the baby boom generation.

“The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us," his management team said.

Beginning at age 12, he played Wally Cleaver, the polite, trustworthy "All-American" big brother on the classic sitcom. But for years Tony Dow was dogged by feelings of depression – and now, through his art, he addresses the struggles that life often presents.