Actress Kelley Mack Passes Away at 33
Actress Kelley Mack, recognized for her performances in “The Walking Dead” and “Chicago Med,” died on Saturday in Cincinnati, Ohio, her hometown.
Mack lost her battle with glioma, a type of cancer that impacts the central nervous system. According to a blog on the health platform Caringbridge, she had been sharing her health journey with her followers.
She was only 33 years old.
“It’s with an indelible sadness that we announce the passing of dear Kelly,” her sister, Kathryn Klebenow, expressed on Mack’s Instagram page. “This bright and passionate light has shifted to a place we all eventually have to go.”
In her post, it was noted that Kelley passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, surrounded by her mother, Kristen, and her supportive Aunt Karen. Kathryn added that Kelley had already visited many of her loved ones in the forms of butterflies, which is a beautiful thought.
Full name Kelly Lynn Klebenow, Mack first experienced “permanent lower back pain” in October 2024. Her health concerns intensified when she ended up in the emergency room before Thanksgiving, where an MRI revealed an “abnormal mass” on her spinal cord.
In January, she received a diagnosis of diffuse midglioma, a rare tumor that originates in the brain or spinal cord, as noted by the National Cancer Institute.
Mack described her experience after a biopsy surgery, saying it left her with limited use of both her legs and that she was transitioning to using a walker and wheelchair.
She had been open about her recovery efforts on social media, sharing a moment on March 26 where she was “relearning how to walk” during physical therapy, using the railing for support.
“Life has had ups and downs recently,” she mentioned in her posts, which really resonated with many of her fans.
Mac began acting in commercials as a child, with her first film role in “The Elephant Garden,” which earned her the Student Foresight Award at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.
The Ohio native appeared in five episodes of “The Walking Dead” in Season 9 as “Adie,” a resident of the Hilltop Colony. “I was initially supposed to be in two episodes, so I was grateful to work on five and didn’t expect to stay on for long,” she shared in an interview.
Mack is survived by her parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow, her sister Kathryn, brother Parker, and her grandparents Lois and Larry Klebenow.
Her funeral is scheduled for August 16th in Glendale, Ohio.
In a moving tribute, Kathryn reflected, “As her sister, especially when she made the brave decision to reunite with God, I want everyone to know how proud I am of her.” Apart from her role in “The Walking Dead,” Mack also produced a series of short films and guest-starred in other shows, including “9-1-1” and “Chicago Med.”
