Chris Anne Affleck, the woman who raised two Oscar winners and dedicated her life to teaching and defending civil rights, died on June 2 at the age of 83, as announced by her family and reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Ben and Casey Affleck's mother had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December of the previous year and doctors had given her six months to live.

Born Christine Anne Boldt in New York City in December 1942, Chris (as she was known to her loved ones) was a groundbreaking woman from the beginning. He graduated from Harvard University and earned a master's degree from the same institution, dedicating 35 years of his life to teaching in public schools until his retirement in 2008.

But his legacy goes far beyond the classroom. Chris was a strong supporter of civil rights, one of the pioneers who traveled to the Deep South of the United States during the 1960s to teach literacy classes in Mississippi during the “Freedom Summer.” He also marched against the Vietnam War and immersed himself in the counterculture of that decade, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Mother of Hollywood stars

Chris and her ex-husband Timothy Affleck welcomed their first child, Ben, in 1972, and Casey in 1975, around the time the family moved to Massachusetts. When Ben was 12, his parents divorced, but Chris continued to be a fundamental pillar in his children's lives.

His influence on his children's careers was decisive. Chris connected Ben with his old Harvard roommate, casting director Patty Collins, who helped him get auditions for commercials and TV movies. As Ben himself explained: “My mother taught public school, went to Harvard and did her master's degree there… My father had a more blue-collar lifestyle.”

Chris was an ardent supporter of her children's acting careers. In 1998, she attended the Oscars ceremony with Ben and Matt Damon, who also brought her mother as a companion, when they were both nominated for best original screenplay for “Good Will Hunting.”

Ben recalled that moment in an interview with Vanity Fair: "We were sitting next to our mothers and we won, and we hugged them. I remember everyone making a big deal out of it, like it was a novelty. Why is it weird that we bring our mothers? Who else do you think we would bring?"

Chris watched Ben win his second Best Picture Oscar for “Argo” in 2012, and Casey win the Best Actor Oscar in 2017 for his performance in “Manchester by the Sea.”

Following his diagnosis in December, Chris' greatest wish was to live long enough to see his grandson Atticus graduate from high school. He attended the ceremony with his family on May 31 and passed away peacefully in his sleep two days later.

In addition to his children, Chris is survived by his five grandchildren: Atticus and Indiana, Casey's children, and Violet, Fin and Sam, Ben's children. His grandchildren were described as “the strength of his last two decades.”