Freeman was born in Brentford London in 1935 but raised in Merthyr Tydfil South Wales as a child following the death of her father in an accident when she was 9 years old and her mothers subsequent remarriage She graduated from the City Cardiff College of Music and Drama in 1955 and after a stay in London joined the Osiris Repertory Theatre touring company based in Gloucestershire She joined the Arena Theatre Sutton Coldfield in 1958 followed by Birmingham Rep from 1968 and 1973 Her stage appearances include Margaret More in the Welsh Theatre Companys first production A Man for All Seasons at Cardiffs New Theatre in 1962 She was best known for her role as café owner Ivy one of the main characters in the longrunning British TV comedy Last of the Summer Wine Freeman died in March 2017 at the age of 81 from lung cancer Her age was often incorrectly reported as being 96 at the time of her death but official birth records prove that she was born in 1935
HydraHD