Andy Griffith, the world's favorite sheriff, dies at 86
Jul-04-2012

Mount Airy's favorite son - and one of the most beloved North Carolinians of all time - has died.
Andy Griffith, known for his Southern drawl and down-home humor, died Tuesday morning at his home in Manteo with his wife, Cindi, by his side. He was 86.
In a statement, Griffith's family announced that he "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island. His favorite causes were Outer Banks Conservationists and the Griffith Scholarship Fund at UNC-Chapel Hill."
Griffith was best known as world-wise Sheriff Andy Taylor in "The Andy Griffith Show," one of the most beloved sitcoms in TV history. The fictional Mayberry was inspired in part by his real-life hometown and word of his death spread quickly around the streets of Mount Airy on Tuesday.
"We lost a very, very good man right there," said Russell Hiatt, who runs Floyd's City Barber Shop on Main Street. "He was one of the best. ... We're going to miss Andy a lot. He was a good actor, and put on a clean show."
"We've had a sad loss in town, I must say," said James Kemp, a Mount Airy resident who was four years behind Griffith in school and knew him growing up. "He was a very quiet, well-behaved individual. I'm very grateful for his acting ability and musical talent, and what he gave to entertainment."
Mount Airy has built a cottage industry on the popularity of "The Andy Griffith Show," with stores lining Main Street that bear names inspired by the show and the nearby Andy Griffith Playhouse, which includes a museum dedicated to his career. Each year, the town holds a "Mayberry Days" festival commemorating the show.

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