Usually, after someone dies, a funeral is held and the deceased's embalmed body or cremated
ashes are buried about two weeks after death.
That being said, depending on tradition and customs, the process of burying a body can
vary greatly.
For example, in traditional Judaism, the remains must be buried within a day.
When television icon Andy Griffith died in 2012, The Andy Griffith Show star's grieving
fans learned that there would be no public burial, funeral, or service for anyone to
attend, even if they were able to.
Prior to his death, Griffith had taken care of everything behind the scenes.
He made all of the arrangements and orchestrated every last detail of what would happen to
his remains shortly after he would draw his last breath.
Griffith passed away at his home on Roanoke Island right around 7 am eastern time on the
3rd of July, 2012.
Per his family's request, Andy's body was lowered into a grave on that very island a
little over 4 hours later at 11:30 am.
Keep watching to learn why Griffith wanted to be buried so quickly after his death.
The manner in which he was laid to rest might seem a little hasty, but it was exactly how
Andy wanted.
Griffith Died Of A Heart Attack
According to his death certificate, the North Carolina native died of a heart attack after
suffering from various illnesses for years.
In 1993, Griffith was diagnosed with his first serious health problem when he found out that
he suffered from Guillain-Barre syndrome.
The ailment prevented him from walking for seven months.
In 2000, Griffith underwent quadruple heart-bypass surgery after being diagnosed with coronary
artery disease.
Seven years later, he had to have hip surgery.
Andy Was In Total Control
Before his death, Andy had already made all the decisions about what he did and didn't
want to happen.
The last thing he wanted was for a bunch of press coverage and reporters surrounding his
home.
Nor did he want helicopters flying overhead and swarms of spectators desperately trying
to catch a glimpse of his casket.
He requested that a small group of some of his most trusted friends immediately bury
him after his death.
That way, he could go out with dignity before the pesky paparazzi could storm Roanoke Island
and try to snap a few photos of his remains.
The citizens of Dare County all played their part to ensure that Griffith's wishes were
upheld.
The sheriff grounded helicopters over the island and kept camera crews far away from
his estate.
The short time frame that they had to bury him meant that only a small handful of Andy's
closest local friends were able to attend his impromptu service.
Sadly, his only surviving child, Dixie Griffith, could not make it out in time.
According to Dixie, the last thing Andy wanted was for his funeral to be some kind of media
circus.
He had always been a very humble man who shied away from the limelight.
While he certainly had his fair share of fans and had amassed a net worth estimated at around
$60 million at the time of his death, he never flaunted what he had, nor did he enjoy being
treated like anybody special.
Dixie's Last Conversation With Her Dad
Andy had two kids; a son named Samuel Griffith Jr, who unfortunately died in 1996, and a
daughter named Dixie, who's now 61.
Speaking to author Daniel de Vise in 2015 in his book Andy and Don: The Making of a
Friendship and a Classic American, Dixie discussed the last phone call that she had with her
father.
Dixie told de Vise that in that call it felt like Andy was trying to impart to her some
kind of wisdom to carry on with her.
Because of the context of the conversation, Dixie said that she knew deep down inside
that it would be the last time that she would ever talk to her dad.
He told her that he loved her, and she told him that she loved him as well.
While he might not have been his blood child, veteran actor and filmmaker Ron Howard, who
played little Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, stayed in touch with Griffith after the sitcom
they both starred in had ended.
In 2012, Howard told the Los Angeles Times that he always viewed Andy as a mentor and
friend.
He went on to describe how episode by episode, hour by hour, Andy proved that neurotic angst
and creativity were not invariably linked.
Howard described Andy as someone that led by example.
As a cast, the stars of The Andy Griffith show loved playing practical jokes on each
other and enjoying each other's company.
Ron described the atmosphere of being on the set as being extremely healthy and uplifting.
Even though they sometimes would laugh until they cried, they were still able to get through
12 pages of a script every day while producing one of the top-watched shows in the country.
Not to get too off-topic, but if you've been enjoying this video so far, take a moment
to show us a little support by giving this video a like and subscribing to the Facts
Verse channel.
Stick around to learn why Andy's grave remains private to this day and who inherited all
of his wealth.
Griffith Was Buried In Unprecedented Time
The speed at which the public learned of Andy's death and burial seemed particularly fast
for all observers, but according to one of Griffith's spokespeople, he had the arrangements
planned for some time.
His prompt makeshift service and burial was the wish of him and his family.
Shortly after Andy's death hit the news, the executive director of the state's Funeral
Directors Association, Larry F. Stegall, was quoted as saying that he didn't recall hearing
about such a quick burial in the 32 years that he had worked with the organization.
As we mentioned earlier, funeral customs often allow for a longer period between death and
burial so that the deceased's friends and family have an opportunity to visit and pay
their respects.
That being said, a family's wishes are always upheld.
Griffith's wife Cindi described Andy as being a man of incredibly strong Christian faith
who was prepared for the day when he would be called back 'home' to be with his maker.
Andy's Gravesite Remains Private
If you plan on visiting Roanoake island to pay your respects to Andy Griffith at his
gravesite, you're out of luck.
That's because just like everything else surrounding his death, his burial site remains private
to this day.
After his death, the actor's body was quickly moved to an unmarked grave at his island estate.
His family does not allow anyone to enter the property to get a glimpse of his final
resting place.
Every other star from The Andy Griffith Show is buried in a public cemetery.
So, if you want to lay flowers on the graves of Don Knotts or Frances Bevier, you should
have no problem doing just that.
Sadly though, you can't do the same for the show's headliner.
As we touched on earlier, Andy was always a very private person.
He definitely knew what to do when he was behind a camera, but he did his best to keep
his personal life as private as possible.
You can't blame a guy for wanting to truly 'rest in peace'!
To ensure that his private resting place would remain just that, Andy's widow, Cindi, even
opted to have his house demolished less than one year after his passing.
Some of Andy's friends and neighbors weren't very pleased by this decision.
Ira David Smith, a producer and lifelong friend of the late actor was quoted as saying that
she had always assumed that the property would eventually be preserved and opened up to the
public.
Andy had purchased the estate back in the 1950s, and at one time, he even expressed
interest in it being turned into some sort of museum one day, but that idea obviously
faded away with the sands of times.
Even so, there is an Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
If you ever make it out there, you'll find the most extensive collection of Andy Griffith
keepsakes and memorabilia in the world.
So, at least Andy got his wish, even if it does look a little different than he had initially
imagined.
Andy's Surviving Family Members Inherited His Wealth
Griffith's roles as Andy Taylor on the Andy Griffith Show and Ben Matlock on the mystery
legal drama series Matlock contributed to him netting a cool $60 million throughout
his six-decade spanning acting career.
After The Andy Griffith Show wrapped up, Andy also started his own production company, which
also helped him amass a sizable chunk of wealth, and between the 70s and 90s, he had various
film and television roles while also releasing some music.
In 1997, he won a Grammy for his gospel album, 'I Love To Tell The Story: 25 Timeless Hymns'.
It's more than likely that Griffith left half of his fortune to his wife Cindy and the other
half to his daughter Dixie.
However, one gossip rag reported on a rumor that Griffith had cut his daughter out of
his will.
It's important to note that this claim has never been confirmed, and Dixie only has spoken
favorably of her father since his death.
Even though many people probably would have liked to have attended Andy Griffith's funeral,
it's admirable that Andy stuck to his principles and values even after his death.
It's exceedingly rare to hear about a star who passes away without it turning into some
kind of media frenzy.
The fact that he was able to shield his friends and family from having to deal with that is
pretty remarkable.
What are some of your fondest memories of Andy Griffith, and what are your thoughts
on his decision to be buried so quickly after his death?
Let us know in the comments down below.
Before you go, take a moment to show us a little support by giving this video a like
and by subscribing to the Facts Verse channel.
While you're at it, tap the bell to turn on notifications.
That way, you can keep up with all of our latest and upcoming content without missing
a beat.
As always, thanks for watching!
We'll see you soon with more videos covering some of your favorite Hollywood stars, films,
and television shows.