White Christmas Star Anne Whitfield Dead at 85 After "Unexpected Accident"
Hollywood is mourning the loss a holiday classic star.
Anne Whitfield, known for her role in the 1954 film White Christmas, died Feb. 15 in a hospital and surrounded by family after "suffering an unexpected accident while on a walk in her neighborhood" near Seattle, her Feb. 24. obituary read.
The retired actress was 85.
"Through the kindness of neighbors who provided expert medical support," the obituary, posted to local outlet B-Town Blog, noted, "family had the gift to say goodbye and express love and gratitude, a gift we will always cherish."
Anne is survived by her three adult children Julie Stevens, Evan Schiller and Allison Phillips, as well as seven grandchildren.
Born in Oxford, Miss., she began her entertainment career as a child, appearing on radio programs. She made her onscreen acting debut in the 1950 film The Gunfighter with her breakout role coming four years later, at age 15, when she played Susan Waverly in White Christmas alongside Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney.
In fact, it's a musical she often revisited. "Just this past December during the holidays," her obituary read, "Annie was able to watch White Christmas with her family."
After appearing in the holiday flick, Anne went on to star in films and TV shows like Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Ironside and Days of Our Lives. She continued acting mostly on television until she retired after the 1999 movie Cookie's Fortune with Glenn Close, Julianne Moore and Liv Tyler.
She moved to Washington State, where, according to her obit, she "became devoted to causes that promote Peace and preserve nature." In her 40s, she earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Evergreen State College and later worked as a steward for Clean Water at the state's Department of Ecology.
In recent years, she ran a bed and breakfast in Burien, Washington, spent time traveling—she hiked the Dolomite Mountains of the Italian Alps in celebration of her 85th birthday—and was an activist, championing causes such climate change, fair political campaigns and refugee assimilation among others.
"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. "She was a powerhouse in life and we hope her immense positive energy flows out to those who had the pleasure of knowing her."
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