Keith Thibodeaux Remembers 'Andy Griffith Show' Co-Star Dennis Rush After His Passing at 74

Former child actor Keith Thibodeaux, also known as Richard Keith, took to Facebook on Thursday to mourn the loss of his ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ co-star and decades-long friend Dennis Rush, who died on May 9. Rush was 74.

“I just got word that my old buddy Dennis Rush, a fine actor and a great friend passed away,” Thibodeaux said. “What a shock.”

Thibodeaux and Rush appeared alongside each other on ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ as children. Thibodeaux starred in 13 episodes between 1962 and 1966, while Rush acted in eight between 1963 and 1965. Both men played friends of Opie Taylor, famously portrayed by a young Ron Howard.

According to Thibodeaux, Rush was diagnosed with leukemia in April.

“He was with us as one of Opie’s buddies. He’s the one sitting down,” Thibodeaux said, sharing a production still of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ on Facebook. “I will miss him at the Andy Griffith festivals as we had so many stories to tell. I’m just glad that I was able to pray with him last month at one of the festivals when he found out that he was diagnosed with leukemia. Mayberry has lost a great citizen and a great friend!”

On top of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, Rush, born in 1951, appeared in a number of series throughout the late 1950s and the 1960s as a child actor. His career included seven episodes of ‘Wagon Train’, three episodes of ‘Laramie’, and one episode of ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’.

The Andy Griffith Museum shared its own remembrance of the child star on Facebook on Thursday.

“Dennis was an absolute joy to be around and one of the sweetest men you could ever meet. It was always a pleasure to welcome him to Mayberry Days, where he shared smiles, stories, hugs and kindness with fans from all over the world,” the Andy Griffith Museum said.