he actually battled alcoholism and anger off and on for a long time. he ended moving back to NC and died here. people who were around him the last several years said he was mean and hard to be around.
Well... I guess he was pretty old by then. I don't recall what the official cause of death was for him. I never knew he struggled with alcoholism at all!
he died of pneumonia. do you remember the 2 episodes (season 3 i think) where Andy's hand was bandaged up? that came from an anger outburst where he punched out the window of a car. apparently he had a pretty wild mean streak that could show up from time to time ... exacerbated by alcohol sometimes, no doubt.
I live close to where he grew up in Mt. Airy. They have been trying to play the Andy card for years. The fact of the matter is he never came back but once and they had to name a parkway after him to get him back then. He hated the place and made fun of the people there every chance he got.
No, I don't remember that episode by that description. I probably have seen it but I just don't remember it.
Barney’s girlfriend Thelma Lou moved to Mt Airy several years ago to cash in on the show’s popularity. She died in a rest home there last year.
It was the one when he had to take Otis to his house for his "sentence", and Aunt Bee was very strict with him!
i took my kids to Mt Airy a few years ago for the full "Mayberry" experience. Ate lunch at The Diner, rode in the squad car, walked around the Sheriff's Office. then we stopped by the Andy Griffith museum and Thelma Lou was there taking pics and signing autographs. it was an awesome day!
