Andy Griffith died of heart attack, death certificate says July 6, 2012 -- Updated 1710 GMT (0110 HKT) Andy Griffith's death certificate says the actor died earlier this week of a heart attack The North Carolina native had also long endured hypertension and hyperlipidemia Griffith suffered the heart attack about 24 hours before he died, the certificate said (CNN) -- Andy Griffith's death certificate says the actor died of a heart attack, after years of suffering from other illnesses, including coronary artery disease. The North Carolina native had long endured hypertension and hyperlipidemia, his certificate said, which can suggest high cholesterol or high triglycerides. The heart attack occurred about 24 hours before he died, the certificate says. Griffith passed away at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning and was buried less than five hours later. He was 86. Most known for his role as the sheriff of Mayberry on the CBS series "The Andy Griffith Show," Griffith "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island," the family said in a statement issued Tuesday. He was buried in the Griffith Family Cemetery in Manteo, North Carolina. Born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 1926, he graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1949 with a degree in music. He made his film debut in "A Face in the Crowd" in 1957 and made his final film appearance in "Play the Game" in 2009. In between, he had two successful television series -- "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock" -- and appeared in dozens of other TV shows and movies. Griffith is survived by his wife and two children.