Andy Griffith Cause of Death

Andy Griffith died at age 86, and fans of "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock" still mourn the death of America's favorite sheriff, Andy Taylor of Mayberry.

The death certificate says Griffith had suffered for years from coronary artery disease, hypertension and hyperlipidemia - a form of high cholesterol or high triglycerides.

Andy Griffith's cause of death was a massive heart attack, officially.

Andrew Samuel "Andy" Griffith was born on June 1, 1926.  In addition to being a TV icon, Griffith was a standup comedian, Broadway star, Hollywood movie star, producer and Grammy-winning Southern gospel singer.

A platinum recording artist of 18 albums, Griffith was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as the Christian Music Hall of Fame.  The iconic actor has also been awarded a TV Land Legend Award and a Peoples Choice Award.

Andy Griffith's lifelong best friend, Emmy Award-winning actor Don Knotts, died in 2006.  Since the death of "Barney Fife," Griffith's health deteriorated.

The late Andy Griffith is survived by wife Cindi Griffith and daughter Dixie Griffith.  Ron Howard, who played son "Opie Taylor," has expressed his sense of devastation at the loss of his TV dad and mentor.

To many, the death of Andy Griffith is symbolic of the death of Mayberry, the fictional town representing idyllic innocence and homespun virtues in America.

When Andy Griffith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, President George W. Bush defined Andy Griffith's stamp on the American cultural landscape by declaring:

"TV shows come and go, but there's only one Andy Griffith."

Andy Griffith 1926-2012