The Affleck family is mourning the loss of their matriarch.
Chris Anne Affleck—mom to actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck—has died, her family shared in a Boston Globe obituary published July 24. She was 83 years old.
Chris’ passing on June 2 came after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December Following her diagnosis, per her obituary, she was given six months to live
Born Christopher Anne Boldt in 1942, the New York City native—also grandmother to Indiana, Violet, Atticus, Fin and Sam—taught literacy classes in Mississippi and later became an activist, protesting against the Vietnam War.
“One of the first Radcliffe women to receive a Harvard diploma,” her obituary read, “she eschewed a world of higher paying careers to spend 35 years as a public school teacher. Every student, whether just arrived from Haiti or Cambridge upper crust, was a cherished citizen of her classroom republic, equal to each other and to herself.”
In 1972, Chris and her ex Timothy Affleck welcomed their first son together, Ben. Three years later, the couple welcomed his younger brother, Casey. Shortly after the birth of their second son, they relocated to Massachusetts, where Chris continued her teaching career.
“My mother taught public school, went to Harvard and then got her master’s there and taught fifth and sixth grade in a public school,” Ben told THR in 2012. “My dad had a more working-class lifestyle. He didn’t go to college. He was an auto mechanic and a bartender and a janitor at Harvard.”
Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection
Growing up, the Affleck home centered around many lively discussions that took place amongst loved ones, as childhood friend Matt Damon could attest to.
“That dinner table was one of the funnest places to be growing up because of all the debates that went on—on any subject,” Damon told the outlet. “You had to craft an argument and a good one to survive. Ben really honed his debating skills there. He’s not a guy you want to get in a debate with.”
Fast-forward decades later, and both Ben and Casey each built their up their acting careers, respectively. In 2013, Ben received an honorary degree from Brown University, and used the opportunity to thank one of his greatest inspirations, his mom.
“This means a lot to her,” he said during his speech, while dedicating his degree to Chris. “She never got to see me graduate from any higher education at all. So, Mom, this is for you. I love you.”
Prior to her passing, according to her obituary, Chris’ greatest wish after her diagnosis, was to live to see her grandson Atticus graduate high school.
“She did so, attending with her family on May 31, 2026,” her obituary concluded. “She died peacefully, in her sleep, two days later.”
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