Tony Dow, 'Leave it to Beaver' star, under hospice care in ‘last hours,’ son says
Actor Tony Dow attends the The Actors Fund's 2015 Looking Ahead Awards at Taglyan Cultural Complex on December 3, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Tony Dow, known for his role as Wally Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver," has died at the age of 77.
Dow died Tuesday morning, according to the actor's management team.
"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning," Frank Bilotta and Renee James announced on Facebook.
Later Tuesday the post was removed, however, and CBS News began to report that Dow was "near death," according to his wife. FOX News Digital is working to learn more information.
Tony was a beautiful soul - kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him. His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him. The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us. From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally - thank you Tony. And thank you for the reflections of a simpler time, the laughter, the friendship and for the feeling that you were a big brother to us all. We will miss you."
A cause of death was not revealed in his management team's initial post.
In May, Dow's wife, Lauren Shulkind, announced his cancer had returned -- just a month after he celebrated his 77th birthday.
"Dear friends and fans of Tony Dow, I have some very sad news to share with you," Shulkind wrote at the time. "Unfortunately, Tony has once again been diagnosed with cancer. He is approaching this reality so bravely, but it is truly heartbreaking.
"We want to thank you in advance for your caring thoughts. Our Love, Lauren & Tony."
circa 1957: Promotional portrait of American actor Tony Dow as Wally, leaning on American actor Jerry Mathers as his brother Beaver, for the television series 'Leave It to Beaver,' in front of a red backdrop. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Dow starred alongside Jerry Mathers, Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont and Ken Osmond in "Leave it to Beaver" during his childhood. The show originally ran for six seasons on CBS before switching to ABC.
The actor participated in the reunion show "Still the Beaver," and the show’s sequel series, "The New Leave It to Beaver."
Dow was also known for his roles in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Babylon 5."