Ben and Casey Affleck's Mother Dies, Having Watched Her Grandson Graduate High School

Chris Anne Affleck, mother of actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, died at the age of 83 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Two days before dying, he had fulfilled his last wish to see his grandson graduate from high school.

People reported on Friday, July 24, citing The Hollywood Reporter, that Chris died on June 2 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. According to his obituary, doctors estimated he had about six months to live.

Chris's most important wish after receiving the diagnosis was to see Atticus graduate from high school. He attended his grandson's graduation ceremony with his family on May 31, two days before he died.

Chris was born Christopher Anne Boldt in New York City in December 1942. The Harvard University graduate worked as a public school teacher for 35 years before retiring in 2008.

He was also active in the civil rights movement throughout his life. During the 1964 Freedom Summer civil rights campaign, Chris taught literacy classes in Mississippi.

Chris is married to Timothy Affleck. They have two sons, Ben who was born in 1972 and Casey in 1975. Chris and Timothy divorced when Ben was about 12 years old.

Chris supports his two children's first steps in the acting world. He even introduced Ben to casting director Patty Collins, his roommate while studying at Harvard.

"I started acting when I was a kid because something actually quite coincidental. One of my mother's friends was the casting director, so at first it was just like trying it out," Ben told Parade in 2007.

Ben said that some acting jobs when he was a child gave him the opportunity to continue to pursue the field. Casey also once said that his mother was very supportive of their acting careers, which were still being pioneered.

Chris attended the 1998 Academy Awards with Ben and Matt Damon after the two were nominated for the film "Good Will Hunting". Damon also brought his mother.

"We sat next to our moms, and then we won and hugged them," Ben told Vanity Fair in 2023.

According to Ben, the decision to bring their mother to the event was natural and not contrived.

Casey then won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2017 through the film "Manchester by the Sea". Ben won his second Academy Award in 2013 when "Argo", the film he produced, was chosen as Best Film.

Chris has five grandchildren from both of his sons, namely Indiana, Violet, Atticus, Fin, and Sam.

After retiring, Chris remained active in social activities. He supported a group of student activists that his grandson attended, attended their workshops, and recorded the material discussed.

Chris has also campaigned for Barack Obama, been a mover and shaker for the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine, and sits on the board of the Sustainable Cape project in Truro, Massachusetts.

"Chris is proud of his son and grandson's achievements. However, he is happiest when they question, resist, or intelligently confront those in power," the obituary read.