Chris Anne Affleck, Mother to Oscar Winners Ben and Casey Affleck, Dies at 83

Chris Anne Affleck, mother of Oscar-winning actors Ben and Casey Affleck, died on June 2 at the age of 83.

Her family announced her passing after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She died peacefully in her sleep two days after attending her grandson’s high school graduation.

Who was Chris Anne Affleck?

Born Christine Anne Boldt in New York City in December 1942, she was a graduate of Harvard University. She spent 35 years as a public school teacher, retiring in 2008, and was a lifelong civil rights advocate.

She was one of the original freedom riders who traveled to the Deep South during the 1960s. Her family said her greatest wish after her December diagnosis was to see her grandson graduate.

How did she support her sons' careers?

Chris Anne Affleck played a role in Ben's early steps into acting, connecting him with her former Harvard roommate, a casting director. She was an avid supporter, attending the 1998 Oscars when Ben and Matt Damon won their first Academy Awards.

Ben recalled the moment in an interview. "We were sitting next to our moms and we won, and we kind of hugged our moms," he told Vanity Fair. "I remember thinking, being insecure, like, 'Why? Why is it weird that we’re bringing our moms?'"

In addition to her sons, she is survived by her five grandchildren: Indiana, Violet, Atticus, Fin, and Sam.