Christopher Anne Affleck, mother of Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, passed away at age 83. She died peacefully in her sleep on June 2, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Her passing was confirmed by an obituary in The Boston Globe.
Diagnosed in December 2025, she was given six months to live. Her greatest wish was to see her grandson graduate from high school. She fulfilled this wish, attending the graduation with her family on May 31, 2026, and passed away two days later.
Born in New York City in 1942, Chris was an activist who participated in the Freedom Summer, opposed the Vietnam War, and embraced the 1960s counterculture. She became one of the first women to graduate from Radcliffe College at Harvard and dedicated 35 years to teaching in public schools.
In her teaching career, Chris valued each student equally, whether they were newcomers from Haiti or part of the Cambridge elite. Her dedication to education was unwavering, and she retired in 2008 to continue her activism, volunteering for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and working with the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine.
Chris welcomed Ben in 1972 and Casey in 1975 with her ex-husband, Timothy Affleck, before their divorce in 1984. Ben and Casey have often credited their parents for fostering their love of the arts. Growing up, their mother frequently took them to the theater, and their father was involved in theater, influencing their early careers.
Ben’s first significant acting exposure came through a casting director friend of his mother. This eventually led to his successful career, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1998 with Matt Damon for “Good Will Hunting.” Ben and Casey’s appreciation for their mother was evident when they brought her to the Oscars as their guest.
Chris is survived by her sons and five grandchildren: Casey’s children, Indiana and Atticus, and Ben’s children, Violet, Fin, and Sam.
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