Anne Whitfield, the star of White Christmas, passed away.
She was eighty-five years old.
The seasoned actress passed away in a “unexpected accident” while taking a stroll close to her Washington, D.C., home, according to her heartbroken family.
Whitfield portrayed Susan Waverly in the 1954 classic White Christmas holiday film.
She passed away in Yakima, Washington, at Valley Memorial Hospital. She was there with her family.
“Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips led a beautiful life, using every moment to better the world and those around her,” they said.
“Family had the opportunity to say goodbye and convey love and gratitude thanks to the generosity of neighbors who offered professional medical support—a gift we will always treasure.”
According to Whitfield’s obituary, “Annie was able to watch White Christmas with her family this past December during the holidays on the movie’s 70th anniversary.”
“Annie was a gifted actor, but there weren’t enough trees in Los Angeles for her, so she moved “up north” in the 1970s from Hollywood to start over.
During this period of transition, “Annie became dedicated to causes that promote peace and protect nature.”
After she “retired,” Annie put in a lot of effort as an activist and community organizer, and she continued to do so until her death.
“Her family always came first and she was adored by them.”
She will be missed by three children and seven grandchildren.
August 27, 1938, was the birthdate of the renowned entertainer, actor, and radio broadcaster in Oxford, Mississippi.
Whitfield began performing in radio plays when he was young. He continued to perform and work on radio shows while attending UCLA.
When Whitfield was four years old, her mother took her to Hollywood to help launch her show business career.
“Aim high until the very end.”
Her father had been deployed overseas to take charge of the Army Band during this time.
Whitfield began his career in theater in 1949 and has played the lead in numerous productions, including Annie Get Your Gun.
She began receiving tiny roles in TV series the next year, including Hollywood Opening Night, One Man’s Family, and Racket Squad. She also received numerous tiny film roles.
Whitfield debuted in the lead part of the musical comedy White Christmas in 1954 at the age of just fifteen.
Susan Waverly, who she played, is the granddaughter of Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger), the owner of the Columbia Inn hotel, which hosts performances by Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace and Danny Kaye as Phil Davis.
Whitfield continued to appear in a few film roles in the 1980s and 1990s. In Robert Altman’s 1999 comedy Cookies’ Fortune, she played her final film role.
