Howard Terbell McNear

 Howard Terbell McNear (January 27, 1905 – January 3, 1969)

He enlisted as a private in the United States Army Air Corps on November 17, 1942, during World War II. He created the role of Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke (1952–1961)] McNear was under contract to CBS for many years and was featured in many of the network's radio and TV programs. From 1955 to 1960 he appeared frequently, in various roles, in the popular radio detective series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. McNear made his film debut in an uncredited role in the 1951 sci-fi film The Day The Earth Stood Still as a boarding house resident along with the alien visitor Klaatu, and the 1953 film Escape from Fort Bravo. Over the course of his career, he would appear in over one hundred film and television guest spots. In 1959, McNear portrayed Dr. Dompierre in the film Anatomy of a Murder who testified about collecting evidence of a rape. In 1961, McNear was cast as the vague, chatty barber Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show. During the show's run, he suffered a stroke that rendered the left side of his body nearly paralyzed. He left the series for nearly a year and a half to recover. Andy Griffith asked McNear to return to the series, to which McNear agreed despite being unable to walk or stand, and the production crew accommodated him accordingly, as Floyd was usually seen onscreen either seated, or standing with support. Later on, McNear began having difficulty remembering his lines and became anxious and frustrated. He left the series in 1967. On January 3, 1969, McNear died of complications from pneumonia following a stroke at San Fernando Valley Veterans Hospital in Sylmar, California. He is interred at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.