Dennis the Menace star Jay North has died, his friends have confirmed.
The 73-year-old died peacefully at his Lake Butler, Florida, home on Sunday at noon after previously being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
He is survived by his wife Cindy, and her daughters from a previous marriage, whom North ‘adored’.
Initial reports on his death via TMZ claim he was unable to see his friends recently after medical staff advised him to isolate due to his worsening condition.
North’s friend, Laurie Jacobson, announced the news on Facebook, writing: ‘Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news.
‘As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after…but he did not let it define his life.
‘He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with “I love you with all my heart.”
‘And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of Jon’s, a brother to Jeanne and a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace.’
Laurie’s husband, Lassie alum Jon Provost, added: ‘I’ve known Jay for almost 70 years, now you can rest in peace Jay.
‘It wasn’t as easy for you as it was for some of us, not that it was a piece of cake that’s for sure, but you did suffer a lot more than most.
‘You were a great guy Jay and I miss you with all my heart, but I know you’re at peace now.’
North famously played Dennis in the CBS sitcom for four seasons, from 1959 to 1963, starring in all 146 episodes.
However, it wasn’t what kickstarted his entertainment career, as he appeared in Cartoon Express in 1957 and the game show Queen for a Day the year after. North later made limited cameos as himself in various series, including an episode of The Simpsons.
As he progressed into adulthood, North retreated from the limelight and began working as a correctional officer in Florida. It’s believed he assisted children in the juvenile system.
According to his pals, North also worked with death row inmates with troubled childhoods.
It was a role he took great pride in, having said he endured physical and verbal abuse himself at the hands of his aunt, who would assault him if he made mistakes as Dennis.
Those working on the children’s programme were unaware of the alleged abuse happening off-set, as was North’s mother. Sadly, the actor later became unable to rewatch episodes because of his trauma.
His co-star, Jeannie Russell, previously said: ‘If Jay says she abused him in private, then I’m inclined to believe it.
‘The sheer demands of being in every scene all by itself had to be extremely stressful. Any extra pressure from [his aunt] would have made it unbearable.’
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While North once stated that he wished he’d ‘never been part’ of the series due to his own suffering and unhappiness, he did praise the other cast members as ‘wonderful’.
He also told E! in 1999: ‘I am so happy that I was able to have such a positive impact on people’s lives.
‘I’m going to write my autobiography and then I’m just going to live a contented, happy life here in Lake Butler with the people I love, and kind of just vanish into the mists of time.’
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