Chris Affleck, mother of Ben and Casey Affleck, dies following cancer battle

Ben and Casey Affleck’s mother, Chris Affleck, dies weeks after attending grandson’s graduation

Chris Anne Affleck, the mother of Oscar-winning actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, has died at the age of 83 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Her family announced that Chris passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 2 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. They shared that one of her final wishes was to see her grandson, Atticus, graduate from high school, a milestone she attended with her family on May 31, just days before her death.

Born Christine Anne Boldt in New York City in December 1942, Chris graduated from Harvard University before dedicating 35 years to public education as a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher. She retired in 2008 and was also a lifelong civil rights advocate, serving as one of the original Freedom Riders during the 1960s.

Chris and her former husband, Timothy Affleck, welcomed Ben Affleck in 1972 and Casey Affleck in 1975. Following the family's move to Massachusetts, she continued her teaching career while encouraging her sons' interest in acting. She even helped launch Ben's early career by connecting him with her former Harvard roommate, casting director Patty Collins, who arranged auditions for commercials and television projects.

A steadfast supporter of her sons, Chris famously accompanied Ben to the 1998 Academy Awards alongside Matt Damon and his mother after Good Will Hunting earned multiple Oscar nominations. Ben and Damon won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay that night, while Casey also starred in the acclaimed film.

Ben later won a second Oscar as a producer of Argo, while Casey earned the Best Actor Academy Award for Manchester by the Sea.

Chris is survived by her sons and five grandchildren: Casey's children, Atticus and Indiana, and Ben's children, Violet, Fin and Sam.