‘Andy Griffith Show’ actress Maggie Peterson dead at 81

Actress Maggie Peterson, who played Mayberry resident Charlene Darling on “The Andy Griffith Show,” is dead at 81.

Her family announced the news on Facebook Tuesday.

“It is with great sorrow that we report that our dear Aunt Maggie died yesterday afternoon (Sunday, May 15),” reads a post on the actress and musician’s page. “She passed peacefully in her sleep with her family present.”

Actress Maggie Peterson at a premiere of the film 'Ship of Fools,' in 1965. (Archive Photos/)

According to that message, she took a turn for the worse when her husband of 43 years died in December 2021. That online farewell letter to Peterson’s fans and friends emphasized how much their continued support meant to her.

Director Ron Howard, who played Andy Griffith’s son Opie Taylor on the Andy Griffith show from 1960 to 1968, remembered his former castmate as “lovely, kind and talented.” He posted a “favorite clip” from the program in which Peterson sings a tune by The Dillards called “There is a Time.”

Peterson’s character on the Andy Griffith show famously fawned over Sheriff Andy Taylor, who was played by performer Andy Griffith. Griffith died in July 2012 in his home state of North Carolina.

Peterson’s acting credits also included appearances on “Green Acres,” “Love, American Style” and “The Odd Couple.”