Art Linkletter, who delighted early TV audiences with his sweetly micheivous humor when he interviewed children and regular folks, is dead at 97.

He was a beloved icon of his time, getting people to share a little too much information during his shows, but always with a gentle and kindly manner.

An article in The Wall Street Journal yesterday described one of Linkletter’s favorite stories, from his popular program, Kids Say the Darndest Things. It was about a 7-year-old boy whose dog had died.

He told the teary-eyed lad, “Don’t be sad because your dog is up in heaven with God.” The boy responded, “Mr. Linkletter, what would God want with a dead dog?”

In a story on ABC.com, son-in-law Art Hershey said, “He lived a long, full, pure life, and the Lord had need for him.”

Maybe he’s up there with the little boy’s dog right now.

RIP, Mr. Linkletter.