“Leave It to Beaver” actor Tony Dow has died following a recent cancer diagnosis, his family and representatives confirmed on Wednesday. He was 77.
Dow’s manager, Frank Bilotta, spoke to NBC News and confirmed the death, saying the actor and director had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
“Although this is a very sad day, I have comfort and peace that he is in a better place,” his son, Christopher Dow, said in a statement posted to his father’s official Facebook page. “He was the best Dad anyone could ask for. He was my coach, my mentor, my voice of reason, my best friend, my best man in my wedding, and my hero.”
“My wife said something powerful and shows the kind of man he was. She said: ‘Tony was such a kind man. He had such a huge heart and I’ve never heard Tony say a bad or negative thing about anyone.’”
Dow’s management team had announced that he died on Tuesday, but later in the day said the announcement was inaccurate and that he was still alive in hospice.
“This is a difficult time. Dad is at home, under hospice care, and in his last hours. My wife and I are by his side along with many friends that have visited. He has a fighting heart,” Christopher Dow wrote on Tuesday following the confusion.
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