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Kelley Mack dies: What we know about The Walking Dead star's family
Kelley Mack died at 33, following which her family remembered her as a radiant soul, creative partner, and beloved daughter, sister and granddaughter.
Walking Dead actress Kelley Mack, best known for her role as Addy in Season 9 of the hit AMC series, has died at 33 following a private battle with a rare central nervous system glioma. While the entertainment industry mourns the loss of a rising talent, her family’s heartfelt tributes offer a deeply personal portrait of a life lived with quiet strength, boundless creativity and enduring love.
A family of shared creative interests
Kelley Mack (born Kelley Klebenow) is survived by her parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow; her sister Kathryn; her brother Parker; and her grandparents Lois and Larry Klebenow.
Beyond her acting career, Kelley was a devoted screenwriter who collaborated closely with her mother, Kristen Klebenow. Together, they co-wrote several feature-length scripts, including On The Black - a 1950s-era college‑baseball story inspired by her maternal grandparents' time at Ohio University.
The spirit of creative support extended throughout the household. Kelley’s younger brother, Parker Mack, is also an actor, best known for playing Finn Madill in Chasing Life and Felix Turner in MTV’s Faking It. Like Kelley, Parker began performing at a young age, and the siblings shared not only a bond as artists but a foundation shaped by a family that nurtured imagination, performance, and emotional depth. Their relationship, though private, was marked by mutual encouragement and artistic camaraderie.
A peaceful goodbye, surrounded by love
Kelley passed away on August 2 in her hometown of Cincinnati. Her mother Kristen and aunt Karen were by her side. In a public tribute, her sister Kathryn wrote that Kelley had “passed peacefully…surrounded by love,” describing her as “a bright, fervent light” and “the most brilliant and radiant person.”
“She has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies,” her sister Kathryn added, a symbol they now hold close. “And as her sister, I want you all to know how brave that tough SOB was, especially when she decided to make the leap to be reunited with God. I’m so f—ing proud of her,” Kathryn wrote.
Aunt Karen also shared her grief through a moving message on Instagram: “I am sad in my heart as my niece Kelley left this world to hang out with my mom and dad in heaven. Way too young. She is a beautiful soul and will be the best angel ever,” she wrote. “I guess she wanted to go wish my dad happy birthday and Gramma and Grandpa Fish happy anniversary in person. Grandpa Fish would be 92. They are having a fun time I am sure. Miss you all so much!”
Mack's family described her as gentle, radiant and full of purpose, adding that her strength throughout her illness was nothing short of extraordinary. A remembrance gathering is set for August 16 in Glendale, Ohio, with a larger celebration of life planned in Los Angeles, where Kelley spent much of her professional life.
