2 years ago on this day was the tragic ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ of Sonya Eddy, Remembering Her (1967-2022)
It’s a milestone we never thought, nor wanted to hit, but sadly, life doesn’t always give us what we want. One year ago today, the daytime world was shocked to learn that Sonya Eddy had ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ away at just 55. For 16 years, she’d been an integral part of General Hospital as iron willed no-nonsense head nurse Epiphany. Keeping order at a hospital in a town like Port Charles was, after all, no small task.
And life in that town was never easy. Epiphany wasn’t afraid to put Sonny in his place, buried her only son Stan after a mob hit, said farewell to her best friend Sabrina after she was ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ. She also fought like hell to make sure the nurses were respected and she gave it her all at the hospital’s Nurses Balls.
Just check out her unforgettable rendition of “Hallelujah” at the 2017 Nurses Ball below and watch every character’s reaction as she sings. You can tell they weren’t acting. They really were moved by her performance. And the joy and light we saw in each of those faces is something Eddy brought to all those who knew her behind the scenes.
For Drew Cheetwood, whose Milo once dated Epiphany, the actress was “So kind, impeccably funny, crazy thoughtful and just the sweetest. I’m so grateful we were friends.”
And as Kirsten Storms (Maxie) explained after Eddy’s ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ, “I would seek Sonya out for hugs because she gave the best ones. And I would tell her that every single time I was lucky enough to get one from her. I was thinking last night that I never saw her in anything but a happy mood. She spread joy at all times. I will miss her.”
“Sonya was the light that banished darkness,” Anthony Geary (ex-Luke) shared with Soap Opera Digest at the time of Eddy’s ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ. “Her smile, her lusty laugh, her personal warmth and open joy held the power to kick the blues out the door and down the block. To work with Sonya was an utter and complete joy. I smiled every time I saw her. Every time.”
And as the late Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie) put it so lovingly, “God bless you, Sonya, in heaven. You are loved by so many. You were always an inspiration. So talented and so very special. I will miss your beautiful shining presence.”
Again, there was no acting needed when General Hospital sent Epiphany off and said goodbye to Eddy with a beautiful tribute episode that ended with an array of fireworks to celebrate her wonderful life.
Eddy’s ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ was, heartbreakingly, the start of a tough time for General Hospital. In the year to come, they had to endure more loss than we could have ever imagine. Zeman ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ away not long after, as did Billy Miller (Drew), Tyler Christopher (Nikolas) and longtime producer N’Neka Garland. But through it all life goes on, and those of us left behind are here to not just mourn celebrate the lives of those we lost. And today we celebrate Sonya Eddy who touched more people’s lives than some of us could ever imagine.
