Rue McClanahan

Rue McClanahan
Born	Eddi-Rue McClanahan February 21, 1934. Healdton, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	June 3, 2010 New York City, New York, U.S
Cause of death	Stroke
Resting place	Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

Rue McClanahan - On November 14, 2009, she was to be honored for her lifetime achievements at an event "Golden: A Gala Tribute To Rue McClanahan" at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, California. The event was postponed due to McClanahan's hospitalization. She had triple bypass surgery on November 4. It was announced on January 14, 2010, by Entertainment Tonight that, while recovering from surgery, she had suffered a minor stroke. In March 2010, fellow Golden Girls cast member Betty White reported on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that McClanahan was doing well and that her speech had returned to normal.

McClanahan died on June 3, 2010, at the age of 76, at New York–Presbyterian Hospital after she suffered another stroke.

She was cremated after her death.

McClanahan's longtime friend Betty White, who co-starred with her on both Mama's Family and The Golden Girls, told Entertainment Tonight that McClanahan was a "close and dear friend" and that her death "hurts more than I ever thought it would".

McClanahan was survived by her sixth husband, Morrow Wilson (from whom she separated in 2009), her son from her first marriage, Mark Bish of Austin, Texas, her sister, Melinda L. McClanahan, of Silver City, New Mexico and a nephew, Brendan Kinkade. There were no funeral services for McClanahan so her family created an official memorial page on Facebook to honor her, and memorial services were held during the summer of 2010 in New York and Los Angeles. On June 10, 2010 McClanahan's New York apartment, with several unique design details, went on the market for $2.25 million. Blanche, Rose and Sophia hug at the end of the final scene of The Golden Girls, aired on May 9, 1992.

In honor of her memory, WE tv-which airs reruns of The Golden Girls; had a weeklong memoriam for McClanahan airing episodes featuring the best of Blanche from June 7 - 11, 2010.