What happened to Anne Whitefield? White Christmas actress passes away after an "unexpected accident"

White Christmas actress, Anne Whitefield passed away on February 14, 2024, at Valley Memorial Hospital, Yakima, Washington, after an "unexpected accident" while she was on a walk in her neighborhood, as stated in her obituary.

Her family wrote:

"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. She was a powerhouse in life, and we hope her immense positive energy flows out to those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Whitefield was 85 at the time of her death and started her acting career at 15, when she was cast by American film director Michael Curtiz in the musical, White Christmas.

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Exploring the late actress Anne Whitefield's career

Born in 1938 in Oxford, Mississippi, Whitefield moved to Hollywood at the age of 4, along with her mother Frances Turner Whitefield. At 7, Whitefield appeared on many radio series such as The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, and One Man's Family, as reported by People.

She also featured in The Miracle Of Our Lady of Fatima (1952) and Peter Pan (1953) before landing a role in White Christmas at 15. Her family also revealed in her orbituary that she was able to watch her movie again in December 2023:

"Just this past December during the holidays, Anne was able to watch White Christmas with her family on the movie's 70th anniversary."

As quoted in The Hollywood Reporter, Anne Whitefield said during a 2020 interview:

"I think I originally had a bigger part, but they almost wrote me out entirely. And then during shooting, I think Curtiz kind of liked me and felt I would add a certain element of innocence as a sort of Greek chorus watcher. He started dragging me into every scene that took place in the lodge."

Anne Whitefield became a renowned actor from the 1950s to 1970s with notable appearances in The Donna Reed Show, Bonanza, The Many Loves of Dobie Gilis, One Step Beyond, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Ironside, Adam-12, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

As per Entertainment Weekly, Anne left Hollywood and moved to Washington in the 1970s. She resumed college and earned a degree in communications and went on to work as a steward of clean water at the Department of Ecology for the State of Washington. She also served as an activist, and community organizer with an aim to fight climate change.

She loved the outdoors and was an avid hiker. To celebrate her 85th birthday, she hiked along with her friend in the Dolomite Mountains of the northern Italian Alps.

Anne Whitefield is survived by her daughters; Julie Stevens and Allison Phillips, son Evan Schiller, and seven grandchildren. A celebration of her life is scheduled March 22 at The Cove Community Club in Normandy Park, Washington, as stated in People.