Oh that is so sad, so only Sarah Thomas remains from the "Ladies" Coffee Mornings . I am sure it was a privilege to meet her Terry. I imagine she was absolutely not the ferocious lady she played on screen [as probably the other "Ladies " were either , well maybe Dame Thora Hird could be quite daunting to meet and would not suffer fools I imagine] . From what you said Terry she certainly put up a brave fight until the end . A very sad loss.
She was just as vociferous with BBC execs when they axed the show as she was when she caught Howard, an absolutely devastating loss. I wish I'd gone to see her one woman stage show Just Pearl which Roy Clarke wrote for her.