OBITUARY: Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips passed away on Feb. 15

The life of Anne Langham Whitfield Phillips was a beautiful one, with every second used to uplift the world and those around her.

Annie 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. 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 most precious part of Annie’s life were her 3 children and 7 grandchildren. She was beloved by her family, who were always her first priority. She is survived by her three adult children: eldest daughter Julie Stevens of Columbia Falls, Montana; Julie’s daughter Emery (Neil Hearns), and sons Luke and Alex; son Evan Schiller of West Seattle (Linda Schiller) and their sons Quinn and Logan; and youngest daughter Allison Phillips of Menlo Park (Peter Freed) and their daughters Frances and Aviva.

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.

Annie was born in Oxford, Mississippi on August 27, 1938. Her parents Richard Noble Whitfield and Frances Turner Whitfield welcomed their only child into the world. Annie’s father was the Orchestra and Marching Band Director at University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), while Frances was blazing trails as a Speech and Drama professor. With the onset of WWII, and Richard being one of the Army Band directors, the trio traveled to army bases in the United States before Richard was deployed to the South Pacific. It was during this period that Frances and 4-year-old Anne set out for Hollywood to begin Anne’s journey into acting.

With her mother as her agent and acting coach, Anne was becoming recognized for her acting skills in old-time radio. By the age of 7, she was cast in live, nationally broadcast radio programs, and most recognized for her long-running roles in The Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show, as well as One Man’s Family. As radio segued to color movies and TV, Annie played a wide array of dramatic parts. Perhaps most notably, Anne was cast as Susan Waverly in White Christmas when she was 15. Just this past December during the holidays, Annie was able to watch White Christmas with her family on the movie’s 70^th anniversary. 

Although Annie was a talented actor, Los Angeles didn’t have enough trees for her and she left Hollywood for her new life “up north” in the 1970’s. During this transition, Annie became devoted to causes that promote Peace and preserve nature. After moving to Olympia, Washington and going back to college at Evergreen State College in her 40’s, she achieved her Bachelors in Communications. She proceeded to work as a steward for Clean Water at the Department of Ecology for the State of Washington. Programs she developed to fight pollution and ensure water quality are still recognized and utilized.

After “retiring”, Annie worked tirelessly as an activist and community organizer, working right up until the day she passed away.  She took on numerous causes including: fighting climate change, transparency in political campaign financing, fair electoral systems, voter registration in swing states, caring for the un-housed (at Thanksgiving, she brought food to the un-housed in Burien), women’s rights (in 2017, she attended the Women’s March in Washington, DC with her daughter Allison), refugee assimilation (she taught English to local refugees), and almost any left-leaning political cause (Go, Bernie!). She donated blood regularly. Annie was active with Southend Neighbors for Justice and Peace, Burien Represent, Community Visions, People for Climate Action, supported the Sustainable Burien and Highline High School Environmental Club in their solar panels project, she was voted Precinct Committee Officer of the Year for the Democratic 34th Legislative District, etc. Annie truly walked the talk.

Annie’s greatest loves other than her family and friends were being in nature and traveling the world. She had a goal of taking each one of her grandchildren individually to a different country to show them that the world is a place of love, acceptance and connection. When her five oldest grandchildren were young teens, she took each on their “Nonnie Trip” sharing faraway lands and cultures of Egypt, Costa Rica, Peru and Europe. She was actively planning the next Nonnie Trip to go on with her youngest grandchildren in the days just before her passing.

To celebrate her 85^th birthday, she and close friend Jo hiked together in the Dolomite Mountains of the Italian Alps, followed by a wonderful Croatian cruise. Annie wanted to visit as many countries as she could during her lifetime and hiked the mountains of many world destinations, including Nepal, Patagonia, Iceland, Machu Picchu in Peru, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. In North America, she explored the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, Montana, and Colorado. She backpacked in the Alaska backcountry and the Sierra Nevadas of California.

An abbreviated list of other world destinations she visited include Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, every Western European country (her favorite, Italy, as she spoke Italian) and Spain, Tanzania, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

Annie was most at home hiking the trails of Mount Rainier, often with her son Evan who was her favorite hiking buddy, but also with many other friends. Even after two hip replacements she would slowly power her way up the trails of her favorite mountain, accompanied by the soft, constant whistling she would make to keep herself company.

Annie moved to Burien in 2005 where she enjoyed running a bed and breakfast, hosting travelers from around the world. She loved her home and community, and was always happy to welcome friends and family in to share a glass of red wine, game of Bananagrams, or bowl of bean soup – always served in a beautiful hand-made ceramic bowl which she created at Moshier Art Studio, where she was able to express her love for potting. 

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

Celebration of Life will be Friday, Mar. 22

Family and friends are invited to A Celebration of Annie’s Life on Friday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. at The Cove Community Club, 1500 SW Shorebrook Dr, Normandy Park. If you feel inspired, please bring a shareable appetizer, dessert, or wine, for a late afternoon potluck. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Anne Whitfield Phillips can be made to the charity of your choice, or by planting a memorial tree through The Tribute Store. Annie supported many charities throughout her life, her recent favorites: Heifer International, International Rescue Committee, and Sierra Club. She also supported a large family in Arusha, Tanzania. If you would like to make a donation to support this wonderful family, Annie’s daughter Allison will ensure donation(s) reach them in Africa.

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