'Leave It to Beaver' star Tony Dow dies at 77

Actor Tony Dow, has died at the age of 77.

Dow, best known for his roll as Wally Cleaver, elder brother to "Beaver" in "Leave It to Beaver," passed Wednesday morning, his manager announced, according to CNN.

Dow announced that he had cancer in May.

Outlets erroneously reported the actor's death on Tuesday after his wife, Lauren, inadvertently communicated his passing. She apologized for the mistake and claimed she was "a little fuzzy" in her old age.

"Leave It to Beaver" ran from 1957-1963. Dow reprised his roll as Wally Cleaver in the 1980s revival of the series, "The New Leave It to Beaver," which focused on the adult life of the characters and saw the entire cast return with the exception of Hugh Beaumont, who had played family patriarch Ward Cleaver. Beaumont died before the series aired.