( CNN ) -- The body of Andy Griffith , a North Carolina native and actor who for years won over audiences with his folksy appeal , was buried Tuesday morning less than five hours after he died . He passed away at around 7 a.m . ET at his home on Roanoke Island , authorities reported . At the request of his family , Griffith 's body was lowered into a grave on the island at about 11:30 a.m . ET , according to a funeral spokesperson who declined to be named , citing the sensitivity of the matter . `` It had been planned for some time , '' said the spokesperson , who declined to reveal where on the island the body was buried . `` This was the wish of his family . '' Most known for his role as the sheriff of Mayberry on the CBS series `` The Andy Griffith Show , '' Griffith died Tuesday after an unspecified illness and `` has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island , '' the family said in a statement . 'Mayberry ' remembers Andy Griffith . But the speed with which the public learned of his death and was informed of his burial seemed especially fast , according to some observers . `` It 's not very common , '' said Larry F. Stegall , executive director of the state 's Funeral Directors Association . `` I do n't recall having heard of it , and I 've been here 32 years . '' Traditional funeral customs often allow for a more extended period between death and burial , so family and friends may have more opportunity to visit and pay their respects . Still , said Stegall , `` the family 's wishes are always abided by . '' `` Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord , '' Griffith 's wife , Cindi , said in a statement on Tuesday . A member of the Television Hall of Fame , Griffith also was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007 . His 1996 album , `` I Love to Tell the Story -- 25 Timeless Hymns , '' netted him a Grammy Award . Born in Mount Airy , North Carolina , in 1926 , Griffith was a 1949 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , where he received a degree in music . What we love about Andy Griffith . 'Andy Griffith ' theme song part of Americana . 10 things we learned from Andy Griffith . White House mourns the death of Andy Griffith . Mayberry in mourning . CNN 's Dave Alsup contributed to this report .
The body of Andy Griffith was buried Tuesday morning less than five hours after he died . At the request of his family , his body was lowered into a grave on the island at about 11:30 a.m . Hide Caption 2 of 19 Photos: `` It had been planned for some time , '' a funeral spokesperson said .