Who Was Phyllis Gilliam, the Woman Honored on ‘Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage’?

During the Season 2 finale of Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, which aired on May 21, 2026, a tribute was issued in the first part to someone named Phyllis Gilliam. The tribute read, “In loving memory, Phyllis Gilliam, January 26, 1956 — March 23, 2026,” which naturally sparked curiosity among fans as to who this person was. An actor? A loved one to a cast member? Who?

As it turns out, she was pretty involved in the entertainment industry, though she worked behind the scenes. Keep scrolling to find out just how involved she was in TV and film production and what happened to her.

Phyllis Gilliam was a costume designer who later went on to become a costume supervisor in the entertainment industry. Born in 1955 in Alabama, Phyllis attended St. James Major Catholic School and McGill-Toolen High School before going on to obtain a BA from Xavier University of Louisiana, per her obituary. While there, she “fell in love with theater and costume design” and later earned her master’s degree in the field from the University of Houston.

Between her education and passion for theater, she eventually ended up in Los Angeles, because where else do you go when you want to pursue a career in entertainment? There, she worked in television and film production for around 30 years. She worked on projects like Just Shoot Me!, Role Models, and Agent Carter, which reveals just how successful she went on to become behind the scenes.

During her time in Los Angeles, she not only watched her career as a costume designer-turned-costume supervisor blossom, but she also met the man who would later become her husband and the father of her two children, Murray Gilliam. According to her obituary, he was a personal trainer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. The two married in 1997, welcomed their first child just a few months later, and had their second child in 2000.

In 2024, Phyllis and Murray learned that he had stage IV cancer, and roughly a year later, she received the same diagnosis. By January 2026, Murray had passed away, and just months later, Phyllis also left this world on March 23, 2026. The couple leaves behind their two children, Robert and Susan, who have since launched a GoFundMe for help and support as they navigate this world without their parents.

It’s not entirely clear what type of cancer Phyllis had, but it appears to have been quite aggressive. According to the GoFundMe launched for her children, Phyllis was diagnosed with stage IV cancer in September 2025 and underwent her first rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. While they believed the treatments would be “promising,” her health sadly “took a drastic turn.”

Not only did “the cancer metastasize from her lungs to her spine,” but it later spread to her brain as well. And on top of battling her own illness, Phyllis was also dealing with her husband’s cancer diagnosis, followed by his death.

Nonetheless, Phyllis was remembered as “a beacon of light in a dark world,” according to the GoFundMe. “Anyone who worked with Phyllis can attest to what a beautiful spirit she had — always the first to help others with a smile on her face, regardless of the circumstances.”