‘Leave It to Beaver’ Actor John Eimen Dies at 76 – Cause of Death Confirmed

John Eimen, a child actor who appeared on classic TV shows including Leave It to Beaver, McKeever and the Colonel, and The Twilight Zone, has passed away at the age of 76. His family announced that he died Friday at his home in Mukilteo, Washington, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in September.

Eimen began acting at the age of six. Born in Chicago on October 2, 1949, he was discovered in his Los Angeles-area classroom by a talent agent who was friends with his first-grade teacher. He made his television debut in 1957 as a classmate of Theodore Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) in the first episode of Leave It to Beaver.

He returned for several more episodes of the series, which ran for six seasons through 1963.

In 1961, Eimen was cast as Tommy in a proposed Desilu Productions drama called Dr. Kate, starring Jane Wyman. “It seemed that a big break had come my way when I was chosen to play her son Tommy in the series’ pilot,” he recalled.

“With a sponsor in place, this show had the possibility to run for many years, considering Ms. Wyman’s status as an Academy Award-winning actress. However, she backed out of the deal, claiming dissatisfaction with the proposed ‘after-primetime’ schedule slot in the channel lineup.”

Though the series never materialized, the pilot aired as a 1960 episode of CBS’ Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. “I still get small residual checks from that show, from time to time,” Eimen said.

After Dr. Kate, Eimen starred as Cadet Monk Roberts on the NBC sitcom McKeever and the Colonel in 1962-63. The series ran for just 26 episodes. He also appeared in other popular shows of the time, including Bachelor Father, The Rebel, Have Gun Will Travel, Wagon Train, The Untouchables, and Lawman.

In addition to television, Eimen was recognized for print advertisements for Carnation, often sporting a milk mustache. His film work included the 1965 Connie Stevens movie Never Too Late. He also appeared in episodes of The Lloyd Bridges Show, Wendy & Me, and made his final onscreen appearance in 1967 on Petticoat Junction.

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