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Jerry Mathers paid tribute to his Leave It To Beaver co-star today, remembering Tony Dow as “not only my brother on tv, but in many ways in life as well.”
“It is with the utmost sadness I learned this morning of my co-star and lifelong friend Tony Dow’s passing,” Mathers wrote on Facebook. “He was not only my brother on tv, but in many ways in life as well. Tony leaves an empty place in my heart that won’t be filled. He was always the kindest, most generous, gentle, loving, sincere, and humble man, that it was my honor and privilege to be able to share memories together with for 65 years.
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Dow played older brother Wally Cleaver to Mathers’ Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver on the hit family sitcom that ran in primetime from 1957 to 1963. Wally and “Beav” were the sons of June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont).
Beaumont died in 1982, and Billingsley in 2010. Ken Osmond, who played Wally’s best friend Eddie Haskell, died in 2020.
Mathers was joined in remembering Dow by another late-sixties icon, Brian Wilson, who posted a smiling photo of himself and the Leave It to Beaver actor and writing, “Thinking of Tony Dow, who passed this morning.”
Wrestling legend Jerry Lawler, SAG-AFTRA and others who paid tribute to Dow, as well.
“It is with the utmost sadness I learned this morning of my co-star and lifelong friend Tony Dow’s passing,” Mathers wrote on Facebook. “He was not only my brother on tv, but in many ways in life as well. Tony leaves an empty place in my heart that won’t be filled. He was always the kindest, most generous, gentle, loving, sincere, and humble man, that it was my honor and privilege to be able to share memories together with for 65 years.
More from Deadline
- Tony Dow Dies: 'Leave It To Beaver' Actor Was 77
- Ken Osmond Dies: Actor Who Played Eddie Haskell On 'Leave It To Beaver' Was 76
- TelevisaUnivision Shows Advertising Strength In First Full Quarterly Report Since Merger, But Bottom Line Takes Hit From Streaming
Dow played older brother Wally Cleaver to Mathers’ Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver on the hit family sitcom that ran in primetime from 1957 to 1963. Wally and “Beav” were the sons of June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont).
Beaumont died in 1982, and Billingsley in 2010. Ken Osmond, who played Wally’s best friend Eddie Haskell, died in 2020.
Mathers was joined in remembering Dow by another late-sixties icon, Brian Wilson, who posted a smiling photo of himself and the Leave It to Beaver actor and writing, “Thinking of Tony Dow, who passed this morning.”
Wrestling legend Jerry Lawler, SAG-AFTRA and others who paid tribute to Dow, as well.
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