Christopher Anne Affleck, the mother of Oscar winners Ben and Casey Affleck, has died aged 83. Ms Affleck died “peacefully in her sleep” on June 2 according to her obituary, which has been published in The Boston Globe.
It has also been widely reported that the actors’ mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer prior to her death, with her obituary stating she was “given six months to live in December of 2025”.
Early life and career
Ms Affleck was born in New York City in 1942, and graduated from Harvard University and then pursued a 35 year-long career as a public school teacher, before retiring in 2008.
She was also described as a civil rights activist, influenced by her stepfather Sam, and taught literacy classes in Mississippi as part of the Freedom Summer campaign in 1964.
Family and activism
Ms Affleck was married to Timothy Affleck and they welcomed their sons Ben and Casey in 1972 and 1975, respectively.
The obituary details how her sons Ben and Casey were her “favourite young people” compared to her “cherished” students, and her five grandchildren were described as “the animating force of her last two decades”.
“Chris was suitably proud of her descendants’ achievements, but she was delighted when they questioned, defied, or cleverly engaged authority,” it added.
Ms Affleck continued her activism after her retirement, and set out “to both see the world and change it” – having volunteered on the campaign trail for former US president Barack Obama.
She also travelled to Palestine and Israel and returned from her travels “as an organiser with the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine”, it said.
Her obituary states she was a founding board member of the Sustainable Cape project in Truro, Massachusetts – which is a non-profit organisation that builds local food systems, runs children’s gardens, and operates educational farmers’ markets.
“When her granddaughter’s student activist group needed a space for trainings, she invited them to Truro and attended every single workshop herself, taking notes,” the obituary said.
Final days
It also detailed how she received a terminal diagnosis last year, and said that her “greatest wish” was “to live to see her grandson graduate high school”.
“She did so, attending with her family on May 31, 2026. She died peacefully, in her sleep, two days later,” the obituary said.
Ms Affleck’s eldest son, Ben, is best known for his breakthrough role in Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with his friend and fellow actor Matt Damon, who also starred in the film.
Casey also appeared in the film, and starred in his brother’s directorial debut Gone Baby Gone. He has since appeared in other projects such as the action-packed Oceans franchise.
