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Tony Dow
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Albert L. Ortega/WireImage
He is best known for his role as Wally Cleaver on the US sitcom Leave It to Beaver.
Actor Tony Dow has died at the age of 77.
The actor's family has now confirmed this, according to the news agencies Reuters and AP.
Dow died following his cancer treatment surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the actor's official Facebook account.
"Although this is a very sad day, I have comfort and peace that he is in a better place," his son Christopher is quoted as saying.
'He was the best father anyone could wish for.
He was my coach, my mentor, my voice of reason, my best friend, my best man at my wedding, and my hero.”
On Tuesday, Dow's management initially had to withdraw a Facebook post that said the seriously ill actor had died.
Dow is seriously ill but still alive, the statement said.
Series about the US suburban idyll
Dow worked as an actor, later as a director and film producer for almost seven decades.
Dow played the older brother of the title character Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in the 1950s series Grow Up.
The series showed the everyday life of a family leading a carefree life in a US suburb.
In the 1980s, Dow reprized his role as Wally Cleaver in the film Still the Beaver, as well as in the television series My Dear Beaver.
In the US series "General Hospital" he was seen in the role of Ross Jeanelle.
"We know the world is collectively saddened by the loss of this incredible man," it said on Facebook.
»He gave us all so much and was loved by so many.«
ime/AP/Reuters
