Sorry, classic TV buffs. If you ever visit Roanoke Island, NC, with the hopes of seeing the gravesite of Andy Griffith, you’re out of luck. His burial site is private — just like everything else surrounding his death. After passing away on July 3, 2012, the actor was moved to his final resting place at his East Coast island estate, and the family doesn’t allow fans to enter the property to pay their respects. Every other star of The Andy Griffith Show who has passed on is buried in a public place, and to this day, fans go out of their way to lay flowers on the graves of Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee) and Don Knotts (Barney Fife). Sadly, they have to skip seeing the headlining star. The reason the Griffith family chose to keep Andy away from the public isn’t clear. Griffith’s widow, Cindi Knight, even had the home that once stood on the property demolished so it could never become a museum. It’s equally as strange that the actor was buried within five hours of his death. In most cases, when a celebrity dies — or anyone for that matter — friends and family gather for a viewing, a funeral, or both. At the very least, a memorial will be held. When Andy Griffith died of a heart attack, however, his family immediately ushered him to his private burial site and left the public out of it. It’s unlikely we’ll ever know the reason for the strange circumstances surrounding Andy Griffith’s burial and final resting place.
