Angela Paton Angela Paton was the actress who portrayed Aunt Adah in the pilot episode . She filmed her scenes between Monday and Thursday on Paramount Stage 16 and on location at the Paddison Farm in Norwalk . On second unit , she filmed an additional scene on Thursday on Paramount Stage 11 . Early career . Born in Brooklyn , New York , Paton worked on stage for several years before she was seen on the screen . She was a local theater star in the San Francisco Bay area and founded with husband Robert Goldsby the Berkeley Stage Company in the early 1970s . In 1971 , Paton made her screen debut with a background role as a homicide detective in the action thriller " Dirty Harry " which features fellow " Star Trek " performers Andrew Robinson , Vince Deadrick , Chuck Hicks , and Victor Paul . Seventeen years later , at the age of 58 , Paton started to work in film and television regular when she had supporting roles in the television movies " Winnie " ( 1988 , with Katy Boyer and Hal Landon , Jr . ) , " Roe vs . Wade " ( 1989 , with Jeff Allin , Dion Anderson , James Avery , Daniel Benzali , Ward Costello , David L . Crowley , Jerry Hardin , Ken Jenkins , Glenn Morshower , George Murdock , Terry O ' Quinn , Randy Oglesby , David Selburg , Karole Selmon , and Kenneth Tigar ) , and " Manhunt : Search for the Night Stalker " ( 1989 , with Jake Dengel and B . J . Davis ) , guest roles in episodes of " thirtysomething " ( 1988 , with Clyde Kusatsu ) , " Dear John " ( 1989 , with Jane Carr , Harry Groener , and William Glover ) , " Hunter " ( 1989 , with Charles Hallahan ) , and " The Wonder Years " ( 1989 , with Olivia d ' Abo , Raye Birk , and Matthew Faison ) . Paton might be well known for her recurring role as Harriet Anderson in six episodes of the primetime soap " Falcon Crest " during the show ' s eight season in 1988 / 1989 . She worked with Castulo Guerra , Allan Royal , Kevin McDermott , Carl Ciarfalio , Gerard David , Jr . , John Hostetter , Betty McGuire , Judith Jones , Robert Ito , J . Michael Flynn , Morgan Nagler , and Buck McDancer . The 1990s . Beside featured parts in the drama " Flatliners " ( 1990 , with Julie Warner , Susan French , and Shauna O ' Brien ) , the drama " Welcome Home , Roxy Carmichael " ( 1990 , with Winona Ryder , John Short , Rhonda Aldrich , Heidi Swedberg , and Carl Steven ) , the television thriller " Love , Lies and Murder " ( 1991 , with Clancy Brown and Megan Butler ) , the television romance " Crazy from the Heart " ( 1991 , with Bibi Besch , Fran Bennett , and Brent Spiner ) , and the thriller " Lies of the Twins " ( 1991 , with Iman ) , she also appeared in episodes of " Doctor Doctor " ( 1990 , with Matt Frewer and Brian George ) , " Equal Justice " ( 1990 , with Jack Kehler and John Hostetter ) , " Father Dowling Mysteries " ( 1991 , with John Rubinstein and Kate Vernon ) , " Quantum Leap " ( 1991 , with Scott Bakula , Dean Stockwell , and Tim de Zarn ) , " Wings " ( 1991 , with Steven Weber ) , and " L . A . Law " ( 1991 , with Corbin Bernsen , Larry Drake , Sam Anderson , and Earl Boen ) . Further film work in the 1990s include the fantasy comedy " Groundhog Day " ( 1993 , with Willie Garson and Peggy Roeder ) , the comedy " Clean Slate " ( 1994 , with Vyto Ruginis , Olivia d ' Abo , Reg E . Cathey , Brad Blaisdell , and Ian Abercrombie ) , the drama " Blue Sky " ( 1994 , with Mitchell Ryan and Dion Anderson ) , the crime comedy " Trapped in Paradise " ( 1994 , with Mädchen Amick ) , the comedy " Home for the Holidays " ( 1995 ) , the thriller " Eye for an Eye " ( 1996 , with Armin Shimerman , Natalija Nogulich , Wayne Péré , Sierra Pecheur , Michael Buchman Silver , Bob Clendenin , Jack Janda , David R . Maier , and Janet Dey ) , the drama " Lolita " ( 1997 , with Frank Langella ) , the comedy " The Wedding Singer " ( 1998 , with Ellen Albertini Dow , Christina Pickles , and Al Burke ) , and the crime drama " The Joyriders " ( 1999 , with Steve Bond and Jay Karnes ) . Paton also guest starred in episodes of " Murphy Brown " ( 1992 , with Paul Carr , Judyann Elder , and John Hostetter ) , " Doogie Howser , M . D . " ( 1992 , with James B . Sikking ) , " Nurses " ( 1991 - 1992 , with Ada Maris and Carlos LaCamara ) , " Love & War " ( 1993 , with Michael Nouri and Suzie Plakson ) , " Dave ' s World " ( 1994 ) , " NYPD Blue " ( 1994 , with Gordon Clapp , Sharon Lawrence , Bill Bolender , Michael Reilly Burke , Kavi Raz , Annie O ' Donnell , and William Lucking ) , " Picket Fences " ( 1995 , with Ray Walston , Justin Shenkarow , and Kelly Connell ) , " Home Improvement " ( 1994 - 1995 ) , " The Client " ( 1995 , with Neal McDonough , Dennis Creaghan , Natalija Nogulich , John Pyper - Ferguson , Timothy Carhart , and Anne Haney ) , " ER " ( 1995 , with Paul Dooley , David Spielberg , and Ann Shea ) , " Cybill " ( 1996 , with Brian Keith ) , " Ink " ( 1997 , with Saul Rubinek ) , " Cracker " ( 1997 , with Carolyn McCormick , Efrain Figueroa , and Patty Holly ) , " Chicago Hope " ( 1998 ) , " Players " ( 1998 , with Tim de Zarn ) , " Dharma & Greg " ( 1998 , with Mitchell Ryan ) , " Jesse " ( 1998 ) , " L . A . Doctors " ( 1999 , with David Huddleston , Stanley Kamel , and Richard McGonagle ) , and " Sliders " ( 1999 , co - created by Tracy Tormé ) . 2000s . In the 2000 ' s she appeared in the television comedies " The Kennedys " ( 2001 ) , " Early Bird Special " ( 2001 , with Amy Benedict , Ray Walston , and William Windom ) , and " Joe Dirt " ( 2001 , with Hamilton Camp , Brian Thompson , Richard Riehle , and Steve Schirripa ) , the drama " The United States of Leland " ( 2003 , with Matt Malloy , Michael Welch , Ron Canada , Randall Bosley , Clyde Kusatsu , Dell Yount , and Jim Metzler ) , the comedy sequel " American Wedding " ( 2003 , with Lawrence Pressman , Rey Gallegos , and John Cho ) , the thriller " Red Eye " ( 2005 , with Suzie Plakson , Robert Pine , Dey Young , Dane Farwell , Beth Toussaint , and Scott Leva ) , the television drama " The Valley of Light " ( 2007 , with Brent Hinkley and Arne Starr ) , and the sport drama " The Final Season " ( 2007 ) . Further acting credits include " " ( 2001 , with Dylan Haggerty ) , " Becker " ( 2002 ) , " JAG " ( 2003 , with Scott Lawrence and Zoe McLellan ) , " Numb3ers " ( 2005 , with Molly Hagan ) , " Curb Your Enthusiasm " ( 2005 ) , " Four Kings " ( 2006 ) , " My Name is Earl " ( 2008 , with Ted Rooney ) , " Sons of Tucson " ( 2010 , with Lamont Thompson ) , " Medium " ( 2010 , with Clancy Brown , David Burke , and Stoney Westmoreland ) , and " Grey ' s Anatomy " ( 2011 , with Frank Kopyc ) . Among her most recent credits are the drama " I Am I " ( 2013 , with Kevin Tighe and Josh Clark ) , the pilot episode of " I Didn ' t Do It " ( 2014 ) , and the short drama " Last Wishes " ( 2014 ) . Paton died on 26 May 2016 following an heart attack at the age of 86 .