Bea Arthur, star of Maude and The Golden Girls, is dead at 86. Arthur died in her sleep early Saturday morning at her home in Los Angeles. She had previously been suffering from cancer. She is survived by two sons, a sister and two granddaughters.

As tribute to Estelle Getty, who passed on July 22 at the age of 84, Lifetime will be airing 10 episodes of the iconic comedy series The Golden Girls

Estelle Getty, best known as Sophia Petrillo, the wise-cracking old Sicilian mother of Dorothy Zbornak (Beatrice Arthur) on The Golden Girls

Betty White was popularly known as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls.  She comically depicted a naïve, simple and kind-hearted housemate of Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy Zbornak (Beatrice Arthur) and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty).  Known for her rambling and absurd stories, she often talked about her bizarre hometown, St. Olaf, Minnesota, which her housemates had to put up with.  Out of the four women, she was arguably the most involved in charity work, being a perennial runner up for a Volunteer of the Year award.  Along with her upbeat personality, she added energy and humor to the show with her agility, ability to do cartwheels, and tendency to scare easily.  Towards the end, she continued to live with Blanche, and Sophia in their purchased Golden Palace Hotel where she became in charge of housekeeping.  In the coming months, the 85-year-old actress will be gracing the big screen with a romantic drama movie.

Dorothy Zbornak was one of Beatrice Arthur‘s trademark roles.  From 1985 to 1992, she was part of the award-winning ensemble of The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is an American sitcom that premiered on NBC in September 14, 1985.  The series, which lasted for seven seasons, was originally conceptualized by NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff and created by Susan Harris.