(CNN) -- The body of Andy Griffith, a North Carolina native and actor who for years won over audiences with his folksy appeal, was buried Tuesday morning less than five hours after he died.
He passed away at around 7 a.m. ET at his home on Roanoke Island, authorities reported.
At the request of his
family, Griffith's body was lowered into a grave on the island at about
11:30 a.m. ET, according to a funeral spokesperson who declined to be
named, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
"It had been planned for some time," said the spokesperson, who declined to reveal where on the island the body was buried.
"This was the wish of his family."
Most known for his role
as the sheriff of Mayberry on the CBS series "The Andy Griffith Show,"
Griffith died Tuesday after an unspecified illness and "has been laid to
rest on his beloved Roanoke Island," the family said in a statement.
But the speed with which
the public learned of his death and was informed of his burial seemed
especially fast, according to some observers.
"It's not very common,"
said Larry F. Stegall, executive director of the state's Funeral
Directors Association. "I don't recall having heard of it, and I've been
here 32 years."
Traditional funeral
customs often allow for a more extended period between death and burial,
so family and friends may have more opportunity to visit and pay their
respects.
Still, said Stegall, "the family's wishes are always abided by."
"Andy was a person of
incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would
be called Home to his Lord," Griffith's wife, Cindi, said in a statement
on Tuesday.
A member of the
Television Hall of Fame, Griffith also was inducted into the Christian
Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. His 1996 album, "I Love to Tell
the Story -- 25 Timeless Hymns," netted him a Grammy Award.
Born in Mount Airy,
North Carolina, in 1926, Griffith was a 1949 graduate of the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a degree in music.
The theme from Andy Griffith's TV Show is known by hearts by millions of people everywhere. You all remember the show theme, but did you know that the song has lyrics too? And did ytou know that Andy Griffith sang the theme song?
Well here he is Andy Griffith with the theme from The Andy Griffith Show.
And here is the instantly familiar version.
Enjoy!
Michael
