Oh noes D: I hadn't heard she'd died, but now I am sorrowful to hear that as well.

(My early teen years were riddled with Pern Mary Sues, I couldn't even begin to count. And mine had a bronze; at least you stuck to a fiddly little brown.)

I have like, a dozen on the Pern books sitting on my shelf right now. Maybe it's time to reread them again.