Frank Bank, who played the clumsy bully Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford on the beloved late ’50s TV series “Leave It to Beaver,” died on April 13 — one day after he celebrated his 71st birthday.
According to People magazine, no cause of death was reported.
Bank’s “Leave It to Beaver” co-star Jerry Mathers took to his Facebook page to share a few words about his pal on Saturday, writing, “I was so sad to hear today of the passing of my dear friend and business associate Frank Bank, who played Lumpy on Leave it to Beaver. He was a character and always kept us laughing. My deepest condolences to Frank’s family.”
Bank was born in a Los Angeles hospital corridor during an air raid drill in 1942, according to the NY Daily News. One of his first acting jobs was playing the young Will Rogers in a 1952 film biography titled “The Will Rogers Story.” And in addition to his gig on “Leave It to Beaver,” Bank guest-starred on numerous shows in the 1950s, including “Father Knows Best” and “Cimarron City.”
He reprised his role as “Lumpy” in the 1983 TV movie “Still the Beaver” and the 1980s series “The New Leave It to Beaver.” Bank also appeared on “Hollywood Squares” and “Family Feud” in the early ’80s.
