Another one of TV’s Golden Girls is gone. Rue McClanahan has died at the age of 76. She passed away at 1 a.m. this morning after suffering a stroke . She will be missed. McClanahan, who played man-happy Blanche Devereaux on the still-popular ’80s sitcom, suffered a minor stroke this year recovering from bypass surgery. Today, McClanahan “had her family with her. She went in peace,” her manager said. Golden Girls ran from 1985-1992. Last year, McClanahan’s co-star, Bea Arthur died from cancer. Estelle Getty died in 2008, while the lone surviving star, Betty White , is currently enjoying a remarkable resurgence in her career at age 88. R.I.P. Rue McClanahan (1934-2010) . Born in Healdton, Okla., Rue lived in six towns by the time she was 8. Her father was a builder who moved from one project to another. She found solace in acting. After four years at the University of Tulsa, McClanahan moved to New York, where she worked as a part-time file clerk while trying to find jobs in the theater. Her first job was off Broadway, in 1957, and she finally hit Broadway in 1969. TV work came after, but it wasn’t until Golden Girls that she truly found fame. She was married six times, including to actor Morrow Wilson, whom she wed in 1997 and who survives her, as does a son, Mark Bish, from her first marriage.
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Rue McClanahan Passes Away at 76