‘She changed my life’: Pam Ferris mourns sister Barbara, who died at 85 after brief Coronation Street stint

Barbara Ferris, known for her brief stint as barmaid Nona Willis in Coronation Street, has passed away at the age of 85. The actress, who appeared in 10 episodes of the popular soap opera, died on May 23, 2025, leaving behind her husband and three children, Nicholas, Christopher, and Catherine.

According to Daily mail, during her decades-long career, Barbara made appearances in various productions, including Catch Us If You Can and Children Of The Damned. Her final film role was in Peter Medak’s The Krays in 1990. Her time on Coronation Street was notably short as she struggled to understand the Lancastrian accent.

Her younger sister, acclaimed actress Pam Ferris, previously shared with the Mail how Barbara “changed her life.” The sisters maintained a close relationship throughout their lives, despite living on opposite sides of the world for many years.

Barbara’s move to New Zealand shaped the family’s acting legacy

Barbara’s decision to emigrate to New Zealand with her husband and young baby led to a chain of events that would significantly impact her family’s future. The emotional long-distance phone call from a local phone box in Bridgend, Wales, prompted their parents to relocate the entire family to New Zealand.

For 13-year-old Pam, this move proved transformative. The relocation not only reunited her with her sister but also introduced her to acting through a local amateur dramatics group. This early exposure to theater would eventually lead to her training at a theater company in Auckland.

At age 23, Pam made the difficult decision to return to London to pursue her acting career, a move that proved successful as she went on to star in notable productions such as The Darling Buds of May and Call The Midwife. Despite the geographical distance, the sisters maintained their close relationship, making frequent visits to each other.

The Ferris sisters came from a family of achievers, including another sibling, Liz, who won a bronze medal in springboard diving at the 1960 Rome Olympics. While their parents have since passed away, Barbara continued to live in New Zealand until her death. The cause of her passing has not been disclosed.