Obituaries

[Eric the Green]

Tony Dow, Wally Cleaver on 'Leave It to Beaver,' dies at 77

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ton...-rcna40202
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Dow



With almost no acting experience, Dow's career began when he went on a casting call and landed the role of Wally Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver.[3][4] With the exception of the television pilot, for the show's entire run, from 1957 to 1963, he played the older son of June (played by Barbara Billingsley) and Ward (played by Hugh Beaumont) Cleaver, and the older brother of protagonist Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (played by Jerry Mathers). He parodied his role in The Kentucky Fried Movie with Jerry Zucker playing Beaver.

After Leave it to Beaver, Dow appeared on other television shows, including My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, The Greatest Show on Earth, Never Too Young, and on five episodes of Mr. Novak in three different roles. Then, from 1965 to 1968, he served in the U.S. National Guard, interrupting his acting career. On his return to acting, he guest-starred on the television series Adam-12, Love, American Style, Knight Rider, Square Pegs, The Mod Squad, The Hardy Boys, and Emergency!

During the 1970s, Dow continued acting while working in the construction industry and studying journalism and filmmaking.[4]

From 1983 to 1989, Dow reprised his role as Wally Cleaver in a reunion television movie and in a subsequent series The New Leave It to Beaver.[5]

In 1986, he wrote an episode of The New Leave It to Beaver. In 1987, he was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as Wally Cleaver.[6]

In 1989, Dow made his debut as a director with an episode of The New Lassie, followed by episodes of Get a Life, Harry and the Hendersons, Coach, Babylon 5, Crusade, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He served as the visual effects supervisor for Babylon 5. In 1996, he provided visual effects for the FOX television movie Doctor Who.[7][5]

Aside from acting, he was also a sculptor, creating abstract bronze sculptures. He said about his work, "The figures are abstract and not meant to represent reality but rather the truth of the interactions as I see and feel them. I find the wood in the hills of Topanga Canyon and each piece evolves from my subconscious. I produce limited editions of nine bronzes using the lost wax process from molds of the original burl sculpture."[8] One of his bronze pieces was on display in the backyard garden of Barbara Billingsley, who played his character's mother on Leave It to Beaver. He was chosen as one of three sculptors to show at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition, in the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris, France, in December 2008. He represented the United States delegation, which was composed of artists from the Karen Lynne Gallery. His abstract shown at the Parisian shopping mall was titled "Unarmed Warrior", a bronze figure of a woman holding a shield.[9]

Personal life
Anthony Lee Dow was born in Hollywood, California.[10] In his youth, Dow trained as a swimmer and was a Junior Olympics diving champion.[3] Dow married Carol Marlow in June 1969 and their marriage ended in 1978.[11] They had one child, born in 1973. In June 1980, Dow married Lauren Shulkind.[3] In the 1990s, Dow revealed that he had suffered from clinical depression. He subsequently starred in self-help videos chronicling this battle, including the 1998 Beating the Blues.[12] In October 2021, Dow was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Cancer diagnosis and death
In May 2022, Dow was diagnosed with cancer.[13] On July 26, 2022, after a premature report of Dow's death,[14] his family announced that he was at his home in Topanga, California. However, it was reported he was in his "last hours", and under hospice care.[15][16] Dow died the following day, on July 27, at the age of 77.