‘White Christmas’ Actress Anne Whitfield Dies At 85

Anne Whitfield, the actress who rose to fame as little Susan Waverly in the 1954 classic “White Christmas,” passed away at the age of 85 earlier this month, according to the Daily Caller.

Her death on February 15th was made in an announcement by the family, who said she succumbed to injuries from an “unexpected accident” while walking in her neighborhood. Whitfield was “surrounded by family at Valley Memorial Hospital,” they added.

“Through the kindness of neighbors who provided expert medical support, family had the gift to say goodbye and express love and gratitude, a gift we will always cherish.”

“Annie was also loved by her amazing friend group, many of whom started out sharing mutual passions for Annie’s deeply rooted hopes for World Peace, protecting nature and the environment for future generations, and for social and political justice. Her friend group extends out to many parts of the world, but was especially prevalent in the Burien area. We wish to thank her community who loved her so much, and encourage you to continue Annie’s fight for a better world,” the obituary adds.

Born in Oxford, Mississippi in 1938, Whitfield was the only child of Richard and Frances Whitfield. Her father taught for the University of Mississippi band while her mother worked as a speech and drama professor. Before being drafted into the South Pacific arm of World War II, Richard Whitfield would take his band on overseas performances for the troops. Without her father, Whitfield relied on her mother’s guidance as they headed to Hollywood to chart her nascent career in acting.

By the age of 7, she was cast in national radio broadcasts including “The Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show” as well as “One Man’s Family.” Her big break came as Susan Waverly in “White Christmas,” which tells the story of a musical quartet that comes upon a former military general running a failing country inn and the Christmas performance extravaganza they put on to save it.

Whitfield lived long enough to join her family earlier this year for a viewing of the movie to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

Her overnight success was not repeated, and Whitfield largely shunned Hollywood over the following decades as she headed “up north” to promote Greenpeace and other pacifist causes. She went on to work as a steward for Clean Water at the Department of Ecology for the State of Washington.

A tribute to Whitfield’s life will be held later this month. In lieu of flowers, her family asked that fans contribute to a charity of their choice or opt to plant a tree through The Tribute Store. Her extensive list of charitable causes over the years also included the sponsoring of a large family in Arusha, Tanzania who will also benefit from donations in her name.