I Saw

this obituary in yesterday's Oregonian:

"Demons chased Stanley Fafara from Hollywood to Portland, tormenting him while he spiraled into a hand-to-mouth existence on the street. Over time, he lost everything--family, money, dignity--to heroin, pills and booze. But friends said that Fafara--a child actor who had a continuing role as 'Whitey" on the 'Leave It to Beaver' television show--was at peace with himself Saturday when he died.

"Fafara, 54, had been admitted to the hospital in late August for surgery on an intestine constricted by a hernia. He suffered complications from the surgery, including a blood clot in his leg. He underwent two more operations, both of which weakened an already weak body. Years earlier, Fafara had contracted hepatitis C while using drugs. The surgeries strained his liver and kidneys, all of which shut down during the past several weeks. On Saturday, he slipped into a coma, and the life-support machines were removed..."

Real life is nothing like the fictional Mayfield.