Free Women’s Blog

George Lindsey (December 17, 1928 – May 6, 2012) a character actor who is best known for his roles as “Goober Pyle” on “The Andy Griffith Show,” died Sunday at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 83.

Lindsey played the small town’s gas station attendant. He joined “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1964 when Jim Nabors, portraying Gomer Pyle, left the program. He reprised the Goober Pyle role on the country variety program “Hee Haw.”

Lindsey’s Hollywood work also included roles in “M*A*S*H” “Gunsmoke,” “The Rifleman,” and “The Twilight Zone.” He was in movies including “Take This Job and Shove It” and “Cannonball Run II,” was a judge for the Miss USA pageant for years.

Lindsey was born in Jasper, Ala., the son of a butcher. He received a bachelor of science degree from Florence State Teachers College (now the University of North Alabama) in 1952 after majoring in physical education and biology.

In addition to his acting/comedy work, Lindsey was also involved in charity work and raised more than $1.7 million for the Alabama Special Olympics through his George Lindsey Celebrity Golf Tournament.

In the obituary released from the Nashville funeral home handling Lindsey’s arrangements said the actor often joked about what he wanted written on his tombstone.

“One choice goes for the joke: ‘I told you I was sick.’ The other goes for the heart: ‘I hope I made you laugh.’ ”

Lindsey is survived by his son George Lindsey Jr., daughter Camden Jo Lindsey Gardner, and two grandsons.

Harry Morgan (April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) a prolific character actor who is best known for his roles in “M*A*S*H” and “Dragnet,” died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96.

He starred as Pete Porter, in the situation comedy “Pete and Gladys” (1960-62), he played Officer Bill Gannon opposite to Jack Webb’s Sgt. Joe Friday in “Dragnet,” from 1967 to 1970. To millions of fans he was Col. Sherman T. Potter, commander of the 4077th M*A*S*H in Korea (1978-83).

In 1980 his received av Emmy Award as best supporting actor in a comedy series for “M*A*S*H”.

Mr Morgan played in more then 100 movies as sheriffs, loyal sidekicks, soldiers, thugs, police chiefs and judges. One of my favorites court room dramas he was Judge Mel Coffey in “Inherit The Wind,” the judge who presided over the fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial” in Tennessee, where a young teacher was convicted of the crime of teaching the theory of evolution. What a role.

He was born Harry Bratsburg, in Detroit and grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. He made his professional acting debut in a production of “At Mrs. Beam’s” in Mount Kisco, N.Y., Morgan made his way to Hollywood in 1942.

It was once estimated that in one show or another, he was seen in prime time for 35 straight years.

Morgan is survived by his second wife, Barbara, whom he married in 1986, and three sons, Christopher, Charles and Paul, from his first marriage, to Eileen, who died in 1985; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. His son Daniel predeceased him.

R.I.P.