Why Andy Griffith Was Buried 4 Hours After His Death

When Andy Griffith, the former television icon, passed away in 2012, the world learned that there would be no funeral or burial service to attend, which saddened his large fan base.

Griffith had taken care of everything, coordinating the preparations for his body. It all occurred hours after his final exhalation.

Ron Howard, left, and Andy Griffith in 1986
Ron Howard, left, and Andy Griffith in 1986 | Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Ron Howard, the renowned filmmaker, recalled his old friend and screen dad, Andy Griffith, frequently staying in touch after the end of the show in 2012, following Griffith’s death from a heart attack.

In a 2012 Los Angeles Times column titled “What I Learned from Andy Griffith,” Taylor Opie fondly remembers the man who played mentor and friend for eight years.

“He proved hour by hour, episode by episode that creativity and neurotic angst were in fact not inexorably linked,” Howard wrote. “He led by example and we demonstrated that a cast and company could play practical jokes on one another, laugh ‘til they cried and still get 12 pages of the script shot every day while producing a No. 1-rated show.”

Griffith’s daughter remembered her last discussion with him

Statue commemorating Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor and son Opie at Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina
Statue commemorating Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor and son Opie at Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina | Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Andy Griffith had two offspring: a male child, Andy Samuel Griffith Jr., Who passed away in 1996 and his female child, Dixie.

In his 2015 book, “Making The Don: The American Classic of Friendship,” author Daniel Visé shared Dixie’s final phone call with her father, in which they would speak for the last time.

She remembered, “I told him I loved him; I told him he loved me. I knew that the last time I was going to talk to him was because I knew the context of the conversation, the nature of it. I felt very much like he was imparting wisdom to me, carrying it forward.”

Griffith had authority over the events that transpired following his death

Andy Griffith, 1940
Andy Griffith, 1940 | Hulton Archive/Getty Images

“Prior to the paparazzi’s potential invasion of Roanoke Island to document his final moments on camera,” as de Visé penned, Andy Griffith requested a select group of close companions to promptly lay him to rest following his passing. He had no desire for helicopters hovering above his residence, media attention, or hordes of people attempting to catch a glimpse of his coffin. Prior to his demise, Andy Griffith had already determined what he wished to avoid.

The sheriff kept the helicopters grounded to prevent crews from Estate Griffith from filming: this was a part of their duty as loyal denizens of Dare County. The busy schedule meant that only a few local friends of Andy’s could attend the makeshift service. The lone surviving child could not be present.

“Dixie, on her end, informed the author that he had no desire for a media spectacle. He had no desire for a spectacle. He had no desire for a burial.”

She expressed her regrets as she was unable to attend his burial. “I need to honor his wishes, but I comprehend if that was his desire, and how can I gather [her children] and travel by plane?”