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Whatever happened to Lumpy Rutherford? 8 characters post-Beaver
Beaver's pals were alive and kickin' long after the series ended.
Characters are believable when we can picture them offscreen. The most legendary TV characters are ones who still exist, in our minds, when the cameras are off. It's easy to picture Archie in his chair when we're not looking. He's one of the best-written characters of all time, so we believe he has a full life, even when it's not shown onscreen.
So believable were the characters of Leave It to Beaver that the creators resurrected the series decades after it ended. Beaver's cultural significance grew and grew until finally, the audience could revisit the Cleaver family with a made-for-TV movie sequel, which was followed by a new series. Together, Still The Beaver and The New Leave It to Beaver create a sometimes-contradictory map of the characters' lives.
While we've written in the past about the actors' lives after Leave It to Beaver, this list is devoted to the lives of the characters. Because whatever happened to Beaver and co.?
Watch Leave It to Beaver on MeTV!
Weekdays at 8 & 8:30 AM, Sundays at 1 & 1:30 PM
*available in most MeTV markets1. Lumpy Rutherford
Not much changes for Lumpy. Instead of an oaf in school, he's an oaf at work. Predictably, Lumpy doesn't make much of a name for himself and relies on his father for his job.
2. Gilbert Bates
Gilbert Bates grows up to be a trendy psychologist. That much is confirmed. But, that all goes unseen, as actor Stephen Talbot refused to return for the reunion series. Following the newer show's cancellation, Talbot was very clear about not holding it in high regard.
3. Ricky Rickover
This'll put a smile on your face: Actor Richard Correll, who played Ricky Rickover, was actually Jerry Mathers' best friend growing up. Correll returned to acting after a 20-year absence, where he focused on directing. Ricky Rickover grew up to be an executive headhunter!
4. Larry Mondello
Larry and Beaver always had an on-again, off-again relationship. They'd fight, but when the dust settled, these guys were on the same team. Robert "Rusty" Stevens returned for the reunion series. Larry grows up to be a bearded member of an Eastern religious sect. Fun!
5. The Beav
Beaver Cleaver grew up to be a divorced dad of two. His sons, Corey and Oliver, give him many of the same headaches that used to plague Ward. Fun fact: Corey Cleaver is played (in the movie) by Corey Feldman! Corey's name is changed to Kip for the series. Beaver is an office worker employed by Fred Rutherford, Lumpy's dad.
6. Eddie Haskell
Ken Osmond returns to bring us more of our favorite twerp, who is now married to Gertrude. Together they have two sons, Freddie and Edward Jr., played by Osmond's real-life sons. Eddie runs a contracting company and is still a big fan of Woody Woodpecker.
7. June Cleaver
June is now a widow. She lives in the same house at 211 Pine Street and welcomes recently-divorced Beaver and his two sons back into the home. June is a member of the Mayfield City Council. Wally and his kids live right next door!
8. Ward Cleaver
Unfortunately, because actor Hugh Beaumont passed away in 1982, he was unable to join his former castmates for the reunion projects. As such, the character Ward is written to have died in 1977. At the time, Ward would have been 67. Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore) plays Ward in the 1997 film adaptation.
