‘White Christmas’ actress Anne Whitfield dead at 85 after ‘unexpected accident’
“White Christmas” star Anne Whitfield — who played Susan Waverly in the 1954 holiday film — has died. She was 85.
Whitfield passed away at Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Wash., following an “unexpected accident” during a walk in her neighborhood on Feb. 15.
“Annie’s greatest wish is for her family and future generations to thrive in a world characterized by love, acceptance, natural beauty, and the cessation of political and social injustices,” her obituary read on the Burien website.
The notice continued: “She was a powerhouse in life and we hope her immense positive energy flows out to those who had the pleasure of knowing her.”
The Oxford, Miss., native was born in 1938 and moved to Hollywood with her family during World War II.
She began her broadcast career working in the radio realm, starring in programs such as “The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show” and “One Man’s Family.”
When she was just 15, she scored a role in “White Christmas.”
Her character was the granddaughter of Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger).
Other stars who appeared in the Yuletide musical classic were Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.
The Technicolor film followed a group of singers who perform a Christmas show in Vermont.
According to her obituary, she had viewed the movie with her family last December to celebrate its 70th anniversary.
Whitfield’s other notable projects included “Juvenile Jungle” (1958) and “Tick, Tick, Tick” (1970).
On television, she made guest appearances on shows such as “Days of Our Lives,” “Perry Mason,” “The Magical World of Disney” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
Whitfield retired from show business in the 1970s and moved to Olympia, Wash.
She dipped her toes into environmental work, taking a job with the Evergreen State College’s Department of Ecology.
She was also an advocate for climate change and was politically active. She campaigned for feminism, the poor and refugees.
She was married to Frederick Roy Schiller in 1958 and they divorced in 1969. She tied the knot with her second husband, John F. Phillips, in 1976 and they split in 2008.
Whitfield is survived by her three adult children — daughters Julie and Allison and son Evan — and seven grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held at the Cove Community Club in Normandy Park, Wash., on March 22.
