Michelle Doris Thomas

Michelle Doris Thomas (September 23, 1968 – December 23, 1998)

She was best known for her roles as Justine Phillips on The Cosby Show (1988–90), and Myra Monkhouse on Family Matters (1993–98). She also appeared on various television programs during the late 1980s and 1990s including A Man Called Hawk and Thea. Thomas had a role in Dream Date in 1989. In 1991, she had a small role in Hangin' with the Homeboys. Thomas also appeared in music videos for Boyz II Men, Mint Condition, Dru Hill, and Chubb Rock. In 1997, Thomas served as a guest host of the weekly music series Soul Train. After Family Matters ended in 1998, Thomas portrayed Callie Rogers Stark, an aspiring singer on The Young and the Restless. In August 1997, Thomas was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer, intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor. She underwent surgery to remove a lemon-sized tumor shortly before landing her The Young and the Restless role in the spring of 1998. In October 1998, she underwent surgery after a second cancerous growth ruptured. She died on December 23, 1998 in New York City at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, age 30. She is buried at Rosedale Cemetery in Orange, New Jersey.