Trivia

Is still friends with his Dennis the Menace (1959) co-star Jeannie Russell, who played Margaret on the show. In May 2008, she was a chiropractor in North Hollywood, CA, and he is one of her clients.

Served in the U.S. Navy (1/16/1977-8/10/1979). He was a seaman stationed in Norfolk, VA. He did a lot of manual labor and left with an honorable discharge.

In 1977, when enlisting in the Navy, a photograph was taken of him being given the oath of enlistment by fellow former child star Jackie Cooper. Jay North served honorably and was discharged in 1979. Jackie Cooper later retired from the Navy Reserve.

As of May 2009 was working as a Correctional Officer at Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler, FL.

As of April 2006 was residing in Lake Butler, a small town in north-central Florida, located 45 minutes southwest of Jacksonville.

Profiled in 2016 book "X Child Stars: Where Are They Now?" by Kathy Garver and Fred Ascher.

Active in the child-actor advocacy group, "A Minor Consideration", founded by Paul Petersen.

As of April 2002 was working as a prison guard in Florida.

In 1988 he visited convicted murderer Earl Clanton Jr., who was on death row at the time in Richmond, VA. He had been convicted of the 1980 strangulation death of a woman residing in his apartment building. North was working on a movie project about a 1984 prison escape Clanton had participated in, along with five other Virginia death-row inmates. Clanton was recaptured a day later. North's visit was reported in a 04/15/1988, Page 17 article in the New York Times following Clanton's execution.

His acting mentor was Gloria Henry, who played Dennis's mom Alice on Dennis the Menace (1959).

Descended from at least two veterans of the United States Civil War. Great-great-grandfather Judson North (1819-10 Jul 1894) served in "A" Company of the 22nd Michigan Voluntary Infantry Regiment, United States Army. Another great-grand-grandfather, John W. Cotton (1842-24 Dec 1911) enlisted at Huntsville, TX, on 9 April 1862 in Company D of the 5th Texas Regiment, Hood's Brigade, Army of the Confederacy. John Cotton was an ancestor of Jay's mother.

In 1988 a newspaper article came out saying that he had died at age 37 in a doctor's office. The article turned out to be a hoax.

Body Cremated and remains given to family.