Chris Anne Affleck, the mother of actors Ben and Casey Affleck, died on June 2 at the age of 83. Her passing was attributed to cardiopulmonary arrest, with pancreatic adenocarcinoma listed as an additional cause, according to a death certificate obtained by Us Weekly. She died at her son Ben Affleck's residence in Los Angeles.
Her family announced the news last week. Doctors had given Chris Anne Affleck six months to live last December, and her final wish was to witness her grandson's high school graduation, which she attended on May 31, just two days before her death. She passed away in her sleep.
Chris Anne Affleck, born in December 1942 in New York City, was a graduate of Harvard University and a public school teacher for 35 years before retiring in 2008. She was described as a dedicated educator who treated all her students with equal value. Ben Affleck previously spoke about his mother's commitment to public education in a 2012 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, noting her Harvard education and her career teaching fifth and sixth grade.
Her obituary highlighted her early development of social consciousness and her commitment to civil rights. She traveled to the South in the 1960s during the civil rights movement, taught literacy classes in Mississippi during Freedom Summer, marched against the Vietnam War, and engaged with the counterculture of the era.
She raised Ben, born in 1972, and Casey, born in 1975, with her ex-husband Timothy Affleck. The family relocated to Massachusetts in the mid-1970s, and Chris Anne Affleck continued teaching there. Following her divorce when Ben was 12, Timothy Affleck moved to California. Casey Affleck credited his mother with maintaining household stability during that period, emphasizing her insistence on family traditions and vacations.
Chris Anne Affleck was supportive of her sons' early aspirations. She introduced Ben to casting director Patty Collins, a former Harvard roommate, who helped him secure early acting roles. Ben Affleck recounted in a 2007 interview that his initial acting jobs, secured through his mother's connections, provided enough exposure to encourage him to pursue the profession.
She was present at significant career moments for her sons, attending the 1998 Academy Awards with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon when they won for Best Original Screenplay for "Good Will Hunting." Affleck later reflected on the importance of his mother's presence, questioning why bringing their mothers to such an event would be considered unusual.
Beyond her family, Chris Anne Affleck remained active in social causes after her retirement. Her work included campaigning for Barack Obama, establishing the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine, and serving on the board of the Sustainable Cape project. She also engaged in documenting oral histories of principals in the South Bronx, as noted in her obituary.
Chris Anne Affleck maintained a close relationship with Ben Affleck's ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and they were often seen together with their children, Violet and Fin. She also attended Ben Affleck's 2022 wedding to Jennifer Lopez, reportedly overcoming a leg injury sustained the day before to be present for the ceremony.
She is survived by her sons Ben and Casey, and five grandchildren: Indiana, Violet, Atticus, Fin, and Sam. The obituary described her grandchildren as "the animating force of her last two decades."