So, so sad to hear that Rue McClanahan has died after a massive stroke. She was only 76, far too young in this day and age. Just a few  nights ago, I saw Leslie Jordan's My Life Down the Pink Carpet, and he mentioned that his voice was mistaken for Rue's over the phone before asking us to keep her in our prayers because she's had a rough patch.

I knew she was in ill health, but it had seemed like she might be in the middle of a long recovery and not on her deathbed.

I remember her fondly from Maude and of course loved her so much as a Golden Girl, an irreplaceable part of one of the best ensemble casts in TV history. I also was lucky enough to see her stint in The Women on Broadway. Her autobiography was good readin', too.

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago all of the cast members were still alive and occasionally appearing together.

UPDATE: Betty White's statement reads, in part, "It hurts more than I even thought it would, if that's even possible," which is remarkably similar to what she said when Bea Arthur passed away just over a year ago: "I knew it would hurt, I just didn't know it would hurt this much."