Rue McClanahan, who played the iconic Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, died this morning after a stroke at age 76.

McClanahan’s death is the third tragic blow to the Golden Girls legacy over the past two years: Estelle Getty (Sophia) died in 2008 and Bea Arthur (Dorothy) in 2009. That leaves only 88 year old superstar Betty White (the oldest of the group, currently at the top of her game after a sublime SNL appearance) to carry on the torch for the girls who were once the funniest foursome on TV. But if her vibrancy and resolve are any indication, the wonderful White will be carrying that torch for a long time to come.