The actress Rue McClanahan, 76, died at 1am this morning, surrounded by her family, having suffered a massive stroke in November while recovering from bypass surgery.

McClanahan was most famous for her role as man-hungry, fun-loving Blanche Devereaux in the 1980s hit sitcom “Golden Girls”.
Her manager, Barbara Lawrence said “She passed away at 1 a.m. this morning. She had a massive stroke.” Lawrence added that she “had her family with her. She went in peace.”

Betty White (88), who played Rose on the show, is that last surviving member of the “Golden Girls.” Bea Arthur passed away last year and Estelle Getty died in 2008.

The scene stealing actresses career began in the 1950s on the New York stage. It was not until 1971 that she moved to television on the series “All in the Family”.

From 1985 to 1992 she played the role of Blanche Devereaux on the “Golden Girls” and in 1987 she won an Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy.

McClanahan was not too dissimilar to Blanche when it came to her relationships with men. She was married six times and she recounted her adventure in her 2007 autobiography “My First Five Husbands”.