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Maggie Peterson passed away at the age of 81, her family confirmed via a statement. She was most popular for her role as Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show.
Peterson’s niece Amy Royer and nephew Ben Eaton issued a statement saying that Peterson passed away peacefully in her sleep on May 15. Her family members surrounded her at the time. Fans poured tributes on social media post the news.
Maggie Peterson’s cause of death and career explored
Maggie’s cause of death is still a mystery, and it remains unknown if she has suffered from any other health issues in the past. However, the statement issued by her niece and nephew stated,
“Maggie’s health took a turn for the worse after the death of her husband Gus [Mancuso, revered Las Vegas musician] and we are relieved that we were able to move her home to be close to family for her last days. We will be planning a private service for Maggie in the next few weeks.”
Maggie Peterson's career
Born on January 10, 1941, Maggie Peterson appeared on several TV shows like Love American Style, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, and others. She played the role of Edna, a café waitress in one episode of Mayberry R.F.D. and Rose Ellen in the 1969 film, The Love God?
She was cast as Susie, the coffee shop waitress on The Bill Dana Show. Dick Linke heard Maggie singing at a Capitol Records convention and encouraged her to come to New York. Following her graduation in 1958, she joined Linke, and they landed various stints on the Perry Como Show and the Pat Boone Show.
They released their album, It’s the Most Happy Sound, in 1959. The band then broke up. Peterson joined The Ernie Mariani Trio and had stints in resort areas like Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Reno. She was discovered by director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Rubeen of The Andy Griffith Show during the tour.
Maggie played the role of Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show. The character was the daughter of Briscoe Darling and had a crush on Sheriff Taylor. She returned on the show's final season as Doris, the dating interest of Ken Berry.
She sang the opening act for Andy Griffith at a casino in Lake Tahoe in 1968. Here, she met jazz musician Gus Mancuso and they tied the knot. They resided in Los Angeles for many years, and Peterson used to work in commercials. The couple then settled in Las Vegas, where Peterson worked as a location scout for film and television.
Maggie appeared as a guest of honor at the Mayberry In The Midwest festival in Danville, Indiana, in 2016 and 2019.
Fans pay tributes on Twitter
Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about Maggie Peterson’s death. With many Twitterati reminiscing her roles on TV, to many celebrating her candour and her life, Twitter was brimming with condolences for her family and paying tributes to the actress.
Her GoFundMe page collected around $47,125 and is not accepting donations anymore.
