Who was Margie Willett, Dick Van Dyke’s first wife, and why did she pass?
Margie Willett was widely known for being the ex-wife of Dick Van Dyke, an award-winning American actor, producer, writer, and comedian. Van Dyke has been in the entertainment industry for over seven decades. Some of his popular films and TV series include Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Diagnosed Murder (1993–2001), and The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966; 1971–1974).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Margie Willett's profile summary
- Margie Willett's biography
- When was Margie Willett born?
- Why was Margie Willett famous?
- What was Margie Willett's net worth?
- How did Margie Willett meet Dick Van Dyke?
- Why did Dick Van Dyke leave his first wife?
- What is Arlene Silver's background?
- Dick Van Dyke and Margie Willett's children
- How did Stacy Van Dyke pass away?
- Is Margie Willett still alive?
- How old was Margie Willett when she died?
- Who are Margie Willett's grandchildren?
- Fast facts about Margie Willett
Key takeaways
- Margie Willet came into the limelight following her marriage to Van Dyke.
- The two were married for 36 years before calling it quits in 1984.
- Dyke's alcoholism and infidelity strained the last eight years of their marriage.
- Margie battled an addiction to antidepressants.
Margie Willett's profile summary
Full name | Margie Willet |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 1927 |
Age | 81 years old (at the time of her death) |
Place of birth | Danville, Illinois, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height | 5'4" (163 centimetres) |
Weight | 121 pounds (55 kgs) |
Body measurements | 34-32-36 inches (86-81-91 cm) |
Hair colour | Brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Marital status | Divorced |
Ex-husband | Dick Van Dyke |
Children | 4 |
Margie Willett's biography
Dick Van Dyke and his first wife, Margie, had a complicated period in their marriage, which was compounded by their shared struggles with addiction. This eventually contributed to their divorce, though they remained amicable co-parents for their four children.
Source: Original
When was Margie Willett born?
Dick Van Dyke’s first wife was born in 1927 in Danville, Illinois, United States. She was an American citizen of white ethnicity.
Why was Margie Willett famous?
Margie stepped into the spotlight following her marriage to American actor Dick Van Dyke. She was earthy and artistic, but had no fondness for Hollywood. As a result, Willett was often shunted aside at showbiz events by people wanting to chat to Dyke.
What was Margie Willett's net worth?
Some sources estimate that Margie Willett was at least worth $1 million at the time of her passing. However, there is no clear report about her exact net worth. Margie's ex-husband, Dick Van Dyke, has a net worth of $50 million.
How did Margie Willett meet Dick Van Dyke?
Before fame, Van Dyke met his future wife, Margie Willett, in their late teenage years in 1947 in his hometown, Danville, Illinois.
He was just 20 years old when he began dating Willett, though they had known each other for many years, having both grown up in Danville, Illinois.
After dating for about a year, they exchanged their wedding vows on 12 February 1948 on a live radio show, Bride and Groom. Due to financial problems, as a young couple, the show's producer offered to pay for the wedding, including a ring and a honeymoon.
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In an August 2016 interview with The Guardian, Dick Van Dyke mentioned:
When I was 20, I began dating a local girl I had known for years growing up in Danville, Illinois – Margie Willett.
We were too broke to get married, but a radio producer offered to pick up the tab and send us on a honeymoon if we got hitched on his show.
So, in 1948, we exchanged our vows in front of a minister and two radio microphones while 15 million people listened!
Why did Dick Van Dyke leave his first wife?
They divorced due to infidelity. Dyke cheated on Margie with Michelle Triola, his then-agent's secretary, and confessed to her in 1974.
Before his infidelity, their marital problems had started way back. Dyke tried to be a good role model to his children, but being an alcoholic for 25 years inevitably impacted family life.
The actor realized he was repeating his father’s mistakes while undergoing therapy. Dyke's dad often came home drunk after lengthy road trips, and his mother threatened to walk out unless he quit.
So, he pledged to quit and entered a rehab clinic. In 1972, shortly after Dyke had spent three weeks receiving alcoholism treatment, Margie checked into the same hospital for addiction to prescription drugs as he checked out.
He told The Guardian in August 2016:
I thought she’d come to pick me up, but it turned out she was hooked on antidepressants. I had no idea. What a pair.
In the years that followed, Margie, who had never liked Hollywood or its stars," began spending more time on the family's ranch in the desert.
Source: UGC
Dyke wrote in his memoir, Keep Moving: And Other Truths About Living Well Longer, that he found himself confiding in his agent's secretary, Michelle Triola:
She was easy to talk to, and she understood me. At the time, Michelle was suing actor Lee Marvin, with whom she had a six-year relationship. I was drawn into a relationship. I was involved with a woman other than my wife. It was unbelievable. I was writhing in guilt. By 1976, I had to do something. I needed to be honest.
After the confession, the couple lived separately for eight years before finalizing their divorce on 4 May 1984. Willett never had any other relationship after her divorce from the actor.
However, one year after the divorce, Dyke’s new lady, Michelle, was diagnosed with lung cancer. The two spent 35 years together until she died in 2009, but never legally got married.
During her last days, which were spent in a coma, Van Dyke wrote in his memoir that he "sang and talked to her until the hospice nurses told me she was gone."
In February 2012, Dick married Arlene Silver, a makeup artist 46 years younger than him. She helped him overcome the grief of losing a long-time lover, and the actor credited her as his secret to staying young.
He told The Guardian:
I met makeup artist Arlene Silver, who is 46 years younger, at an awards dinner in 2006. She was startlingly beautiful, and I introduced myself. We became firm friends, and it just grew from there.
My oldest child, Christian, was the only one in the family who had doubts, but after we exchanged our vows in 2012, he said, “Dad, I get it.” We don’t feel the age gap. I’m emotionally immature, and Arlene is very wise for her age, so we meet in the middle.
What is Arlene Silver's background?
Arlene Silver is a producer and actress, known for her work on Days of Our Lives and the Coldplay music video All My Love, with her husband, Dick Van Dyke.
Born on September 21, 1971, Arlene has also appeared in the film Carolina (2003) and participates in yoga and other creative activities. She is a well-known figure due to her marriage to Dyke, with whom she shares a love of singing and dancing.
Source: UGC
Dick Van Dyke and Margie Willett's children
Margie Willett and Dick Van Dyke's marriage was blessed with four children: daughters Stacy and Carrie Beth, and sons Barry and Christian. Willett also suffered a spontaneous pregnancy loss and lost twins.
Christian Van Dyke (born on May 13, 1950) made his first on-camera appearance on The Dick Van Dyke Show when he was 11 years old and received a law degree from Arizona State University later.
He worked as a deputy district attorney in Corvallis, Oregon. Christian continued his legal career in Oregon first as a Salem assistant attorney general before he was elected district attorney for Marion County, Oregon, in the 1980s.
He married Caroline A. Heller in 1970. Their daughter Jessica was born in 1974 and passed away from Reye syndrome in 1987. The couple has two other children, a son and a daughter.
Like all of his other siblings, Barry Van Dyke (born on July 31, 1951) appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Unlike his older brother, who quit acting to pursue law, Barry made his acting debut in 1962.
He is well known for his roles in TV series and films such as Diagnosis Murder, Remington Steele, and Heavenly Deposit.
Barry married Mary Carey in 1974, and they have four children: Carey, Taryn, Wes, and Shane. He is also a grandfather to six children.
Carrie Beth Van Dyke (born October 18, 1961) debuted her acting career on The New Dick Van Dyke Show. Like her sister, she met her husband, Kevin McNally, at the Windmill Dinner Theater.
The couple married in 1983 and has two children. McNally joined the cast of Diagnosis: Murder with Beth's brother and father for 19 episodes.
Like her other brothers, Stacy Van Dyke (born in 1963 and died in 2017) dabbled in acting, appearing alongside her father in The New Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis: Murder when she was young.
Stacy continued her acting career, joining the Barnstormers, a performing group at the Windmill Dinner Theater in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 1979, she married Mike Breen, a fellow member of the Barnstormers, and they have two children, one called Ryan.
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How did Stacy Van Dyke pass away?
Information about what caused the death of Stacy, Van Dyke's first daughter and third child, has been kept away from public access.
While the actor has spoken about Stacy visiting him in his dreams to offer comfort when he feels depressed, lonely, or hurt, he has never publicly mentioned what led to her demise.
Is Margie Willett still alive?
Margie passed away in Rosenberg, Texas, where she had worked at her family's furniture business until her retirement. You can find pictures of Margie Willett online, with several historical and personal photos available on sites like Getty Images and Facebook, often showing her with Van Dyke and their four children.
How old was Margie Willett when she died?
Dick Van Dyke’s first wife was 81 years old at her time of death. Margie Willett's cause of death was pancreatic cancer. Even though she and Dyke were long divorced at the time, he was deeply affected by her death.
According to an August 2016 publication by Country Living, he wrote in his memoir, Keep Moving:
Even though we were long divorced, with her death, I lost a part of myself.
He also told The Guardian in August 2016:
In 2008, Margie died of pancreatic cancer, and I lost a part of myself. A year later, Michelle was diagnosed with lung cancer. When she asked if she was going to die, I pretended I didn’t know – the hardest acting I have ever done. After she passed, I realised I had never been without a companion looking out for me.
Who are Margie Willett's grandchildren?
Margie Willet and Dick Van Dyke have seven grandkids, including Shane, Wes, Carey, Ryan, and Jessica (late). They also have more than four great-grandchildren.
Source: UGC
Fast facts about Margie Willett
- Margie Willett was a very private person.
- She wore her hair short and eschewed makeup.
- She and Dayke were often mistaken for brother and sister.
- She once bought six copies of a magazine, Dyke was on the cover, prompting the cashier to ask if she was his mother.
- Dyke included his children and grandkids with Margie in his TV shows.
Margie Willett was famous for being the first wife of actor Dick Van Dyke. The couple grew apart, a situation worsened by their individual struggles. After a prolonged separation, Van Dyke and Willett officially divorced.
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