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Maggie Peterson, an actress who appeared on The Andy Griffith Show, has died. She was 81. Peterson’s death was announced on Facebook Monday, where her family shared that she had died in her sleep at home in Colorado on Sunday (May 15).
“It is with great sorrow that we report that our dear Aunt Maggie died yesterday afternoon,” her family wrote, adding, “Maggie’s health took a turn for the worse after the death of her husband Gus [Mancuso] and we are relieved that we were able to move her home to be close to family for her last days.” They also shared that they would hold “a private service” in her memory in the coming weeks.
Peterson was best known for her role as Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, although her career spanned far beyond her five-year stint on the ’60s hit. Prior to playing Charlene in six episodes of the show, Peterson also starred on The Bill Dana Show and Gomer Pyle: USMC.
Peterson began her career in the ’50s, when she was noticed by Griffith’s manager, Dick Linke, while performing with the Ja-Da Quartet, according to Deadline. Peterson also sang on The Andy Griffith Show.
She went on to appear in Angel in My Pocket, The Queen and I and The Over-the-Hill Gang. In the ’70s, she starred in Love, American Style, Green Acres, Mayberry R.F.D., The Odd Couple, Odd Man Out, Pleasure Palace, Stark and Return to Mayberry. Her final TV credit is listed on IMDb as 1987’s The Magical World of Disney.
After a decades-long career in film and television, Peterson retired from acting in the ’80s and began working for the Nevada Film Commission, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her IMDb lists her work in location management on films like Casino, Mars Attacks!, Money Play$ and Pay It Forward.
