Leave It To Beaver star Tony Dow died on Tuesday (July 26) at the age of 77.

The actor's death was announced later this morning on Facebook in a note from his management team, and actor Jerry Mathers - in which he wrote that Dow's death 'leaves an empty place in my heart'.

The sad news comes just two months after he announced in May that he had been diagnosed with cancer, although no cause of death was initially revealed.

"It was with the greatest sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of my friend Tony Dow," Mathers wrote in his Facebook post.

He was not only my brother on TV, but in many ways also in life," the announcement said.

The actor and his wife of 41 years, Lauren, previously said in May that they were heartbroken over his cancer diagnosis, TMZ reported, and were grateful in advance for prayers from fans,

Dow did not mention the type of cancer he was diagnosed with.

The actor-turned-filmmaker faced health issues in August 2021 when he was hospitalized while battling pneumonia, TMZ reported, noting that he had to spend 24 hours in the emergency room due to of an increase in the Delta strain of the coronavirus.

in that time.

Lauren told the outlet that Dow did not have COVID-19, as he tested negative for the virus five times.

Dow, who was born in Hollywood, played the role of Wally Cleaver on "Leave It to Beaver" in all 234 episodes of the show from 1957 to 1963 alongside Jerry Mathers and the late stars Hugh Beaumont, Barbara Billingsley and Ken Osmond.

Dow reprized the role of Wally Cleaver for the 1983 TV movie Still The Beaver, a 1987 episode of the TV series The Love Boat and The New Leave It To Beaver from 1983-1989.

He has also appeared in TV shows including: Lassie, Adam-12, Mod Squad, Knight Rider, Charles in Charge and Murder, She Wrote.

The former child star put his acting career on hold in the late 1960s, when he spent many years in the National Guard.

The TV veteran has also worked extensively as a director, directing numerous episodes of shows including: Harry And The Hendersons, Babylon 5, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Swamp Thing and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids: The TV Show.

His most recent acting work was from 2015 and 2016, when he made two guest appearances on the television series :Suspense;, a revival of the late 1940s and early 1950s anthology series, which from the other side was inspired by the classic radio series of the same name.

In addition to his show business endeavors, Dow had focused on sculpture for decades, with his work exhibited in art exhibitions around the world.

In 2008, he was one of only three sculptors from the United States whose art was exhibited at the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition at the Louvre in Paris, according to Deadline.