Tony Dow is best-known for playing Wally Cleaver in ‘Leave it to Beaver’ the popular American sitcom. He was reported to have died at the age of 77, and his agent told Washington Post that the actor had succumbed to complications from liver cancer. 

A post was put up on Dow’s Facebook page, saying “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. 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.”

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The statement continued, “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.”

However, the post has been deleted since then. TMZ spoke to his manager, Frank Bilotta, as per the publication, and he said that Dow’s wife Lauren Shulkind is very distraught and thought her husband had died, and told management as much. 

Reportedly, Dow is alive and breathing while in hospice care. His wife confirmed to CBS that he is “near death”. 

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The actor, who went on to appear in several television movies and shows after the success of ‘Leave it to Beaver’, survived cancer once before being diagnosed with it again in May 2022. 

He also survived pneumonia in 2021 but tested negative for COVID at the time. Dow has battled clinical depression too, appearing in many self-help videos chronicling his battle with the condition. 

A week before his death, Dow’s team released an update on his battle with cancer, saying “…a rollercoaster of ups and downs as Tony continues his fight with cancer. Tony has been in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments.”