Rue McClanahan, who purred the role of a Southern-belle vixen not slowed by age on the celebrated television series 'The Golden Girls,' has died. She was 76. McClanahan, who suffered a stroke earlier this year, died in New York early Thursday morning, according to People magazine, citing her manager, Barbara Lawrence. In her portrayal of the libidinous widow Blanche Devereaux, the most romantically active of the four women sharing a Miami household in their golden years, McClanahan had a large part in establishing 'The Golden Girls' as a television show uniquely focused on the lives of older women. In one episode, Betty White's innocent Rose Nylund asked aloud, 'Is it possible to love two men at one time?' To which McClanahan's Blanche replied, 'Set the scene -- have we been drinking?' 'The Golden Girls' was a ratings leader on NBC in its seven-season run, from 1985 to 1992. McClanahan won the 1987 Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy series and was nominated three other times. White, Getty and Beatrice Arthur each also won the outstanding lead actress Emmy during the show's run, and the show was named outstanding comedy twice. White is now the only surviving Golden Girl. Arthur died in 2009, at 86, and Getty died in 2008, at 84. For McClanahan, the show culminated an acting career on Broadway and on television, in daytime soap operas and sitcoms including 'Maude,' on which she had a recurring role as the best friend of Maude Findlay, played by Arthur. Married six times, McClanahan revealed in her 2007 memoir that the insatiable appetites of her 'Golden Girls' character weren't a terrible stretch for her. 'People always ask if I'm really like Blanche,' McClanahan wrote, 'and I say, `Well, consider the facts: Blanche was a glamorous, oversexed, self-involved, man-crazy Southern belle from Atlanta -- and I'm not from Atlanta.' She also wrote: 'I learned a lot from Blanche about optimism and joie de vivre, feeling confident about what you have to offer the world, and the ability to bounce back from life's momentary failures. Blanche Devereaux is a masterful rebounder, never down for the count, always back up to fight again, to look again on the bright side. I loved that about her.' Eddi-Rue McClanahan was born on Feb. 21, 1934, in Healdton, Okla., where she learned to dance and performed in school productions. Her father, William, was a building contractor. Her mother, Rhuea, owned a beauty shop. She majored in German and theater arts at the University of Tulsa and moved to New York City after graduation to study acting. Her first job was at the Erie Playhouse in Erie, Pa. She married for the first time and had her only child, son Mark, then returned to her family in Oklahoma when the marriage ended. She landed her first film roles in the early 1960s after returning to New York, found work on Broadway, and in 1970 landed a role on the soap opera 'Another World.' After producer Norman Lear gave her a guest role on an episode of 'All in the Family,' he cast her for the recurring role on 'Maude.' After that series ended in 1978, Lear gave McClanahan the lead role in the short-lived sitcom 'Apple Pie.' A recurring role in 'Mama's Family' followed. After the success of 'The Golden Girls,' McClanahan joined Getty and White in a spinoff, 'The Golden Palace,' which ran 24 episodes. An animal-rights activist, McClanahan served as an honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She was diagnosed in 1997 with breast cancer and underwent successful treatment. 