Rue McClanahan Dies at the Age of 76

Rue McClanahan, the actress who played Blanche Deveraux on the hit 80s tv show “The Golden Girls,” died this morning at the age of 76. Her manager, Barbara Lawrence, reports she had a massive stroke at approximately 1 A.M. Lawrence also said Rue was surrounded by her family and died peacefully.

Earlier this year, Rue suffered a stroke while she was recovering from bypass surgery. It was just last year her co-star, Beatrice Arthur, died from cancer and Estelle Getty passed away in 2008. Betty White, the show’s fourth star, continues to experience a surge of electricity in her career.

Rue was born in Healdton, Oklahoma and described acting as “the only thing [she] ever wanted to do.”

Source: People