Even as several cast members departed the show in the same episode, the season 14 finale of Grey’s Anatomy paid tribute to Shandra Page Edwards and Suzanne Patmore Gibbs. Debuting all the way back in 2005, the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy continues to be a staple of TV, and follows the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital Hospital in their professional and personal lives. The show was an instant hit and continued to raise the bar with each successive season until it became a bona fide stalwart each season on ABC. Even while nearing its 20th season, Grey’s Anatomy shows no signs of stopping.
The season 14 finale was a particularly special episode and even featured one of Grey’s Anatomy’s signature weddings with appropriate conflict unfolding. Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 24, “All of Me” marked the final appearance of Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins, and cast members like Jason George and Sarah Drew were ostensibly demoted to guest stars going forward. Every Grey’s Anatomy season finale brought the drama, but season 14’s closer felt extra special because of its touching dedication to Shandra Page Edwards and Suzanne Patmore Gibbs.
Shandra Page Edwards Was A Hairstylist On Grey’s Anatomy
Though most of the credit for film and TV production goes to those in front of the camera, the show would come to a halt if it wasn’t for the tireless work of dozens of people behind the scenes. Shandra “Sha” Page Edwards was a hairstylist and makeup artist on dozens of film and TV projects who sadly passed away in 2018. She worked on 68 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as a hairstylist and was eventually promoted to key hairstylist in season 11. Between season 7 in 2011, to season 13 in 2016, Page Edward’s handiwork was featured extensively on the show.
Shandra Page Edward’s body of work included big-budget films like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and more understated movies like 20th Century Women which allowed her to show off the subtlety of her craft. The period piece The Beguiled showed off the full extent of her abilities as she served as the hair department head. Aside from Grey’s Anatomy itself, the show’s star Ellen Pompeo touchingly eulogized her fallen comrade on Instagram in a post that read, “Wherever your soul is now…Your light was so bright we will all… bask in its glow forever”.
Suzanne Patmore Gibbs Was A TV Executive & Shonda Rhimes’ “First Champion”
The second person honored in the Grey’s Anatomy season 14 finale alongside Shandra Page Edwards was Suzanne Patmore Gibbs, a noted TV executive who also passed away in 2018. A certified power broker of 2000s and 2010s television, Patmore Gibbs used her executive status to elevate roles for women in the industry, and her notable works ran the gamut of network TV, basic cable, and even streaming. Assisting in the development of shows like The Blacklist, Outlander, and Lost, Patmore Gibbs rarely missed when she championed a fledgling show.
Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes was particularly close with Gibbs, and as reported by People, she specifically mentioned that Gibbs was her “first champion” while trying to bring Grey’s Anatomy to life. According to Rhimes, Gibbs was the first executive to ever encourage her to develop her own series and wanted Rhimes to become the boundary-breaking producer she is today. She summarized her feelings about Patmore’s death succinctly when she wrote “No way to describe the loss”.