Meredith Says Goodbye to [Spoiler] on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Fighting for a second chance. As Catherine ( Debbie Allen ) went under the knife for the surgery that could remove her cancer, Meredith ( Ellen Pompeo ) was faced with saying goodbye to her father as he lost his battle with his own cancer on the Thursday, January 31, episode of Grey’s Anatomy . 'Grey's Anatomy' Drama: A Timeline Meredith wanted to be there for Richard ( James Pickens Jr.) when the time came to remove Catherine’s tumor, but he told her he didn’t need her — instead, he wanted her to channel all of that supportive energy toward her father. Thatcher ( Jeff Perry ) was dying after he decided to stop receiving treatment for his terminal cancer. Even though they’d been estranged for years, Meredith got up the courage to go see him and was surprised by what she found: a frail, sick man who was a shell of the father she remembered. At first, they sat in awkward silence and then Thatcher began filling her in on everything he’d been doing since the last time they’...