STAR TRAGEDY Anne Whitfield, who played Angela on White Christmas, died in a terrible âunexpected accidentâ near her home when she was 85 years old.
Her grieving family said she died in a âunexpected accidentâ while out for a walk near her home in Washington, D.C.
In the 1954 holiday classic White Christmas, Whitfield played Susan Waverly.
She passed away at Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington, on February 15. Her family was there with her.
Her family said: ââThe life of Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips was a beautiful one, with every second used to uplift the world and those around her.â
âThrough 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.â
Whitfieldâs death notice said, âAnnie was able to watch White Christmas with her family during the holidays in December, which was the movieâs 70th anniversary.â
The statement went on to say, âAnnie was a great actor, but Los Angeles didnât have enough trees for her, so in the 1970s she left Hollywood for a new life âup north.â
âDuring this change, Annie became deeply committed to causes that support peace and protect the environment.â
âAnnie worked hard as an activist and community organizer after she âretired,â right up until the day she died.
âAnnieâs three children and seven grandchildren were the most important things in her life.â
âShe was beloved by her family, who were always her first priority.â .
Whitfieldâs life will be honored on March 22, and people who are sad about her death are asked to give to charity or plant trees in her honor.
Her three children and seven grandchildren will miss her.
The movie, TV, and radio star was born on August 27, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi.
Whitfield started acting in radio plays when he was a child. He went to UCLA and kept acting and working on radio shows while he was there.
Whitfieldâs mother took her to Hollywood when she was four years old to help her start her career in show business.
âGETTING THE JOB DONEâ
While that was going on, her father had been sent overseas to lead the Army Band.
Whitfield began working in the theater in 1949 and has been the lead in many productions, such as Annie Get Your Gun.
The next year, she started getting small parts on TV shows like Racket Squad, One Manâs Family, and Hollywood Opening Night. She also got a lot of small parts in movies.
When Whitfield was only 15, she played the lead in the musical comedy White Christmas in 1954. It was her most famous role.
It starred her as Susan Waverly, the granddaughter of Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger), who runs the Columbia Inn hotel and stars Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace and Danny Kaye as Phil Davis.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Whitfield kept playing small parts. Her last movie role was in Robert Altmanâs 1999 comedy Cookiesâ Fortune.