LOS ANGELES — Tony Dow, the longtime actor and producer best known for playing Wally Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver," died Tuesday morning at the age of 77.
"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning," his management team wrote in a since-deleted post on Dow's Facebook page. "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," 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."
