Rue McClanahan, who is best known for her starring role as elderly sexpot Blanche Devereaux on the hit sitcom The Golden Girls, has died.

The actress, who had a stroke earlier this year after bypass surgery, suffered a massive stroke on Monday and died early Thursday morning.

The Golden Girls ran from 1985 to ’92, but the series is still popular with reruns continually broadcasting in syndication on cable networks like Lifetime, WE and Hallmark.

However, McClanahan was never at a shortage for work either before The Golden Girls stint on the shows, All in the Family, Maude and Mama’s Family or after with dramatic roles in Touched by an Angel and Law & Order.

The actress was at home in either comedy or serious roles and forged a career that spanned nearly 60 years first on the stage followed by film and television.

McClanahan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. She had a lumpectomy and received five months of chemotherapy. After her successful battle with the disease, McClanahan spent a great deal of her time helping organizations dedicated to fight cancer, AIDS as well as cruelty against animals.

Rue McClanahan was 76 years old.