Christopher Anne Affleck Passes Away at 83

Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck’s mother, Christopher Anne Affleck, has passed away at the age of 83 after battling pancreatic cancer. According to an obituary in The Boston Globe, she died peacefully in her sleep on June 2.

Christopher Anne was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2025, with a prognosis of six months. Her initial wish after diagnosis was to witness her grandson’s high school graduation. 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, Christopher Anne, known as Chris, was an activist who participated in literacy classes in Mississippi during Freedom Summer and protested the Vietnam War. A graduate of Harvard and one of the first Radcliffe women, she dedicated 35 years of her life to teaching in public schools, embracing students from diverse backgrounds.

After retiring in 2008, Chris remained active by volunteering for President Barack Obama’s campaign, traveling to Israel/Palestine, and working with the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine. She had two sons, Ben and Casey, with her ex-husband Timothy Affleck, who divorced her in 1984.

Ben and Casey have credited their parents for nurturing their interest in the arts from a young age. Casey once stated in an interview that they were influenced by their father’s involvement in theater and their mother’s frequent theater visits. Ben, in a 2007 interview, mentioned an early introduction to acting through a family friend’s casting director role.

Ben Affleck found major success when he won an Academy Award alongside Matt Damon for their screenplay for ‘Good Will Hunting’ in 1998. Both Ben and Damon notably took their mothers as their dates to the event. Ben reflected on this decision in a 2023 Vanity Fair interview, questioning why it was perceived as unusual.

Christopher Anne Affleck is survived by her sons and her five grandchildren: Casey’s children, Indiana and Atticus, and Ben’s children, Violet, Fin, and Sam.