Jay North, the former child star known for playing the title character of “Dennis the Menace” in the early 1960s, has died. He was 73.

The late actor’s death was announced Sunday afternoon by former co-star Jeannie Russell and their shared family friends. “Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news. Our dear friend Jay North has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon Est, Jay passed peacefully at home,” Laurie Jacobson wrote on Facebook.

“As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after… but he did not let it define his life. He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with ‘I love you with all my heart.’ And we loved him with all of ours,” Jacobson, who is married to “Lassie” actor Jon Provost,...