The Tragic Death Of Andy Griffith Show Star Betty Lynn
Betty Lynn, who played Thelma Lou on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95, per The Hollywood Reporter. She died on October 16.
The Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina, announced the news of Lynn's death. Lynn had been living in a retirement home in the Southern city since 2006, per THR. The museum didn't reveal the cause of Lynn's death but said that she died "after a brief illness."
Per the museum's announcement, fans who want to honor the actor's legacy can donate to the arts-focused Betty Lynn Scholarship Endowment and the Barbara and Emmett Forrest Endowment Fund, via the Surry Arts Council. Lynn will be buried in Culver City, California, per the museum.
Lynn never married or had children, though she did tell a HuffPost reporter in 2013 that she was engaged once. While she isn't survived by any direct descendants, her legacy lives on with her countless fans.
Betty Lynn's costar paid tribute to her legacy
Betty Lynn isn't the only cast member from "The Andy Griffith Show" who's died in recent years. Griffith himself died in 2012, as did George Lindsey. And Don Knotts, who played Lynn's on-screen love interest, died in 2006. Of the original main cast members, director Ron Howard, who played Opie Taylor, is still alive at age 67.
Howard paid tribute to Lynn on October 17 after The Andy Griffith Museum announced her death. "RIP Betty Lynn. She played Thelma Lou on #TAGS & brightened every scene she was in & every shooting day she was on set," the director tweeted. "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 95yrs young."
As for what the actor hoped for her legacy, she had some surprising thoughts on the matter. "People don't have to remember me. I don't think it's necessary that I be remembered," Lynn told WYMT-TV in 2018. "They could say a prayer for me. I would like that ... You know, most people feel they'll get to heaven. I'm not sure I will, but I want to. So if they'll pray for me, I'd appreciate that. I can't think of anything else."