Andy Griffith R.I.P.

By now, you've undoubtedly heard that Andy Griffith has passed away at the age of 86. His soft spoken drawl, quick wit, and folksy demeanor made Andy Griffith, or "Sheriff Andy Taylor" as he was known for many years, a regular part of our lives, one we welcomed into our homes.

My first memory of Andy Griffith was a comedy recording he had done back in the fifties called, "What it was, was football". The Andy Griffith show, which also was the start of Ron Howard's long entertainment career, I believe was actually a spin off of the Danny Thomas Show, "Make Room for Daddy", (which was a regular feature in our house). Big city slicker Danny gets caught in a small town speed trap and thinks he can get the better of the hayseed sheriff Andy. Hilarity ensues.

After nearly half a century in the public eye, age and illness had taken it's toll in the last few years. And at the end of a long and illustrious career, you can say what he did wasn't Shakespeare, but it was certainly entertaining. Rest in peace, Mr. Griffith.