WHITE Christmas star Anne Whitfield has died at age 85.
The veteran actress died after an “unexpected accident” while out for a walk near her home in Washington, her grieving family said.
Whitfield played Susan Waverly in the 1954 festive classic White Christmas.
She died on February 15 with her family by her side at Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington.
Her family wrote: “‘The life of Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips was a beautiful one, with every second used to uplift the world and those around her.”
“Through the kindness of neighbours who provided expert medical support, family had the gift to say goodbye and express love and gratitude, a gift we will always cherish.”
According to Whitfield’s obituary, “Just this past December during the holidays, Annie was able to watch White Christmas with her family on the movie’s 70th anniversary.”
The statement continued: “Although Annie was a talented actor, Los Angeles didn’t have enough trees for her and she left Hollywood for her new life ‘up north’ in the 1970’s.
“During this transition, Annie became devoted to causes that promote Peace and preserve nature.
“After ‘retiring’, Annie worked tirelessly as an activist and community organiser, working right up until the day she passed away.
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“The most precious part of Annie’s life were her three children and seven grandchildren.
“She was beloved by her family, who were always her first priority.”.
Whitfield’s life will be celebrated on March 22, with mourners encouraged to make charitable gifts or plant trees in her memory.
She is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.
The stage, screen and radio star was born in Oxford, Mississippi, on August 27, 1938.
Whitfield began performing in radio dramas as a child and later attended UCLA while continuing to act and work on radio shows.
At the age of four, Whitfield’s mother brought her to Hollywood to kick-start her showbiz career.
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Her father, meanwhile, had been deployed overseas as an Army Band director.
Whitfield started working in the theatre in 1949 and has starred in a number of theatrical shows, including Annie Get Your Gun.
The next year, she began securing small TV roles, including appearances in Racket Squad, One Man’s Family, and Hollywood Opening Night, as well as a many small film roles.
Whitfield’s most memorable role came in 1954, when she was only 15 years old, in the musical comedy White Christmas.
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In it, she played Susan Waverly, the granddaughter of Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger), the owner of the Columbia Inn hotel where Bing Crosby’s Bob Wallace and Danny Kaye’s Phil Davis perform.
Whitfield continued to perform in small roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with her final appearance being in Robert Altman’s 1999 dramedy Cookies’ Fortune.
