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Anne Whitfield has sadly passed away at the age of 85.

The actress was best known for her role as Susan Waverly in the classic holiday film White Christmas, which just celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Keep reading to find out more…

Anne “passed away on February 15, 2024, surrounded by family at Valley Memorial Hospital after suffering an unexpected accident while on a walk in her neighborhood,” according to her obituary.

The obit 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.”

After her breakout role at age 15 in White Christmas, Anne starred mostly on television shows for the remainder of her acting career. Her other credits include The Six Million Dollar Man, The Donna Reed Show, and The Untouchables.

We’re sending our thoughts and condolences to Anne‘s loved ones during this difficult time.

Veteran actress Anne Whitfield, best known for starring in the holiday classic White Christmas and television series such as Perry Mason, Rawhide, and Bonanza, has died. She was 85. According to her online obituary, Whitfield passed away on Wednesday, February 14, surrounded by her family at Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington, following an “unexpected accident” while on a walk in her neighborhood. “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,” the family wrote in the obituary. Born on August 27, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi, Whitfield began her acting career as a child star, appearing on old-time radio by the time she was seven, including long-running roles on The Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show and One Man’s Family. As film and television grew in popularity, Whitfield transitioned from radio to screen, most notably...

Anne Whitfield, who appeared at age 15 in the 1954 Hollywood Christmas chestnut White Christmas and went on to a prolific career in episodic TV throughout the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, died February 15 at a hospital in Yakima, Washington. She was 85.

The actor, whose TV credits stretch from I Married Joan and Father Knows Best through The Six Million Dollar Man and Adam-12, suffered what her family describes as an “unexpected accident” during a walk in her neighborhood.

“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,” her family said.

Born August 27, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi, Whitfield was four years old when she moved to Hollywood with her mother Frances Turner Whitfield, who served as the aspiring child performer’s agent and acting coach. By age 7 Whitfield was appearing on such radio series as...

Anne Whitfield, who appeared in the beloved holiday classic White Christmas and on dozens of TV shows, from Father Knows Best, 77 Sunset Strip and Perry Mason to That Girl, Ironside and Emergency!, has died. She was 85.

Whitfield died Feb. 7 at a hospital in Yakima, Washington, after suffering an “unexpected accident” while on a walk in her neighborhood, family members announced.

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

Whitfield was 15 and had done lots of acting on the radio when she was cast as Susan Waverly, the granddaughter of Dean Jagger’s Major Gen. Thomas F. Waverly — “The Old Man” — in the Michael Curtiz-directed Paramount musical White Christmas (1954). The film starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

She got to watch White Christmas with her family on the...

Rod Serling is primarily known for creating and developing the majorly popular anthology series "The Twilight Zone," on top of being the charismatic host who bookended every episode with valuable insight. Airing for five seasons, "The Twilight Zone" was home to tales that ranged from the nostalgic to the macabre, often sprinkled with a touch of science fiction and horror that reflect everyday societal ills. Interested in telling stories that pushed the boundaries of network TV while evading censorship, Serling and his talented team of writers came up with scripts that forayed into a liminal space they dubbed The Twilight Zone, where anything was possible and nothing could be taken for granted.

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1976: Ryan's Hope's Frank realized his campaign was over.

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2010: As the World Turns' Henry and Barbara married."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1968: On The Doctors, Dr. Nick Bellini (Gerald Gordon) and Dr. Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) talked about marrying. Both spoke of the changing times-Nick the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy; Althea the 1967 death of her son, Buddy Davis. Meanwhile, Steve (David O'Brien) and Karen (Laryssa Lauret) also headed towards marriage,...

1976: Ryan's Hope's Frank realized his campaign was over.

1992: All My Children's Nick returned.

1996: Another World's Fax was ready to kill again.

2010: As the World Turns' Henry and Barbara married."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1968: On The Doctors, Dr. Nick Bellini (Gerald Gordon) and Dr. Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) talked about marrying. Both spoke of the changing times-Nick the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy; Althea the 1967 death of her son, Buddy Davis. Meanwhile, Steve (David O'Brien) and Karen (Laryssa Lauret) also headed towards marriage, if not a romantic one.

Thanks to...