Betty Lynn dead: The Andy Griffith Show star dies aged 95 after short illness
Betty Lynn was reported living at a retired home in Mount Airy, North Carolina. The actress died on Saturday aged 95 after a brief illness – although the exact cause of death has not yet been reported.
The Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy announced her death on Sunday, adding that a private service will be held in Culver City, California.
In a Facebook post, the museum added that the actress will be “dearly missed”.
The actor was living at a retirement home in Mount Airy at the time of her death where she had resided since 2006.
The North Carolina city is home to the Andy Griffith museum and inspired the fictional town of Mayberry, where the hit Sixties show was set.
Tributes have since poured in for the actress, following the news of her death.
Her co-star Ron Howard, who played Opie Taylor on the show, mourned the loss with a touching note on Twitter on Sunday.
He wrote: “RIP Betty Lynn. She played Thelma Lou on #TAGS & brightened every scene she was in & every shooting day she was on set.
“I saw her last a few years ago where she still lit up the room with her positivity.
“It was great to have known and worked with her. She truly was 95 years young.”
Radio host and bestselling author Matt Jones remembered her as a “much better girlfriend than Helen Crump”, who was a fictional character on the show.
He added: “[She was] a great singer who made the best cashew fudge in all of Mayberry”.
Betty was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1926 and began her entertainment career at just five-years-old where she began studying at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music.
Aged 18, she took part in a United Service Organizations (USO) entertainment tour, where she sang for the Armed Forces and their families.
Betty made her on-screen debut n the comedy-drama Apartment for Peggy.
Soon after, she starred alongside Bette Davis in June Bride and Loretta Young in Mother Is a Freshman.
The actress also worked on the 1950 version of Cheaper By The Dozen.
