Although she was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and spent most of her career in Southern California, Lynn moved to Mount Airy, North Carolina in 2006, the city that served as inspiration for Griffith’s Mayberry. What did
“I love watching old shows and laughing out loud,” Lynn told HuffPost in 2013. “Those days were the happiest of my life.”
After small roles in films such as “Cheaper by the Dozen” and television series such as “Disneyland,” Lynn first appeared as Thelma Love in 1961.
His character was often stunned by the close-injured persona of groom Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts, but he continued through most of the series to this day.
After a two-decade, on-again, off-again romance, they finally married in the 1986 reunion TV movie “Return to Mayberry,” the characters’ last on-screen appearance together.
“I last saw her a few years ago, where she was still positively lighting up the room,” said director Ron Howard, who plays Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son Opie. Posted on Twitter Sunday. “It was great working with him.”