Yesterday, I watched the last episode of Centennial, which featured Andy Griffith. This morning I woke to the news that Andy Griffith had died. Everything that can be written will show up on the Internet in the next several hours, and there is not much that I can add. Except, The Andy Griffith Show is my favorite television show, and he portrayed my favorite television dad.
In the early days of this blog, I wrote a post about my fascination with his show, and I feel that it is appropriate to link it here.
Rest in Peace Mr. Griffith. You provided millions with laughter and enjoyment.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
I remember watching the Andy Griffith show when I was very young but I don’t know if they were reruns or if the episodes I saw were the actual show. I remember that I the show because there were parts of that always reminded me of my southern roots and because I saw glimpses of my father in Andy Griffith. He was unassuming, considerate, polite, kind, interested in doing the “right thing” and low-key smart. Rest in peace Mr. Griffith.
I think everyone who has lived in the south or in a small town can relate to the characters on the show. Thank you for commenting.
One comforting aspect of the passing of Mr. Griffith is the universal adoration aimed at the man, and the almost rapturous sense of nostalgia imparted by commentators of all generations toward his time in Mayberry and it’s depiction of good people with simple, decent values; (even by persons too young to be genuinely nostalgic!) which leads to the conclusion that despite the medias best efforts to convince of the contrary, today;s audiences have yet to exhaust their appetite for portrayals of honesty, good humor and heartfelt civility.
You write the truth about the human condition. I am afraid that I have fallen into the same trap that many other people have found themselves in. I sense that people are talking about the death of Andy Taylor rather than the death of Andy Griffith. Just as a place like Mayberry never existed, the sheriff never existed, either. In fact, I think Mr. Griffith’s best work was as Lonesome Rhodes in “A Face in the Crowd”.