Gleason was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on May 4, 1939 and raised in Uleta, Florida. Gleason was married to Candy Moore from 1971 until they divorced in 1978. Later, he was married to Susan Kehl from 1995 until his death in 2006. Gleason died on May 27, 2006 from lung cancer in a hospital in Burbank, California. He was 67 years old.