Former child actor who played Dennis the Menace passes away peacefully at his residence

SAN FRANCISCO — Jay North, the child actor who starred in the early ’60s sitcom “Dennis the Menace” died Sunday afternoon. He was 73. 

The actor had been battling colon cancer for years and died at home, according to a social media post shared by sitcom co-star Jeannie Russell. 

Close friend Laurie Jacobson wrote on Facebook that he had a heart as large as a mountain and had a deep love for his friends. She mentioned that he would frequently call them and always end their conversations by saying ‘I love you with all my heart,’ and that they reciprocated the sentiment with all of theirs.

“He is out of pain now. His suffering is over,” she continued. “At last he is at peace.”

Deadline reported that North landed his breakthrough role at the age of 6 after winning a nationwide casting search. He starred in “Dennis the Menace,” a sitcom adaptation of the popular comic strip created by Hank Ketcham for CBS.

Dennis was often seen sporting a striped shirt and overalls as his mischievous behavior continuously annoyed his retired next-door neighbor George Wilson, portrayed by Joseph Kearns. Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry played the roles of Dennis’ understanding parents.

The show ran from 1959 through 1963 and has nearly 150 episodes, according to IMDb. The show ran on Sunday nights until it was canceled in 1963. After that it was a fixture for decades in syndication.

Deadline says the child actor was abused by his aunt and uncle while on the show, a fact revealed during a 1993 feature adaptation of the series.

While the show was airing, North was also performing as his sitcom character on “The Donna Reed Show,” “The Red Skelton Hour” and ’60s musical comedy “Pépé,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. 

North also appeared on other shows and movies throughout his life, like “Lassie,” “General Hospital” and “Dickie Robert: Former Child Star.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.