Dick Van Dyke, one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars with a long list of credits including the CBS classic The Dick Van Dyke Show, was first married to Margie Willett. Known for her artistic side but little interest in Hollywood, Willett built a life with Van Dyke that lasted for decades before ending in divorce.
Early in their marriage, the couple suffered the heartbreak of losing twins through miscarriage, but they later welcomed four children who have each built stable and successful lives.
In 2008, Willett passed away, a loss Van Dyke described as taking a part of him with her.
From their first meeting to the reasons behind their separation, here’s everything to know about Dick Van Dyke’s first wife, Margie Willett, and her death.
Van Dyke Met His First Spouse Margie as a Teenager
The actor first met Willett in his hometown of Danville, Illinois, during their teenage years. He was 20 when they began dating. At the time, Willett was seeing someone else but chose to end that relationship to be with him.
Recalling that period, Van Dyke once shared that Willett’s former boyfriend wasn’t pleased about the change. “All through high school, she had dated a boy who was on both the football and wrestling teams,” he said. “After she ditched him for me, he wanted to kill me.”
The Couple Married on a Radio Live Show in 1948
Van Dyke married Margie on February 12, 1948, during a live broadcast of the ABC radio program Bride and Groom. The decision came out of necessity — they couldn’t afford a wedding, and the show’s producers offered to cover the costs in exchange for their on-air ceremony.
Van Dyke was performing at the old Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard when the show’s emcee learned he was planning to get married. “I let it drop I was planning on getting married,” he recalled to the Los Angeles Times. “He said, ‘Come on the show,’ so I sent for my girlfriend back home and we did the show. We got a honeymoon in Mt. Hood, Ore., and some free appliances. I couldn’t afford to get married otherwise.”
The wedding was heard by 15 million listeners, and the show also sponsored their honeymoon in Oregon.
At the time, Van Dyke was far from a household name, and the couple struggled to make ends meet.
He described his first wife, Willett, as “earthy and artistic” but had no interest in Hollywood and often felt pushed aside at industry events. She wore her hair short, avoided makeup, and was sometimes mistaken for Van Dyke’s sister or even his mother.
Margie Willett Faced a Miscarriage Before Having Four Children
Early in their marriage, Margie and Dick struggled to start a family. She suffered a miscarriage with twins before later giving birth to four children.
Their first child, Christian Van Dyke, was born on May 13, 1950. He briefly appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show as a finger-snapping, fedora-wearing youngster named Frankie.
Christian attended Occidental College in Los Angeles and later earned his law degree from Arizona State University. Rather than pursue a long-term career in entertainment, he practiced law in Oregon and worked as a deputy district attorney in Corvallis.
Their second child, Barry Van Dyke, arrived on July 31, 1951. As a young man, he worked in a local movie theater before moving into acting.
Their daughter Stacy was born around 1955 and appeared on The New Dick Van Dyke Show as well as playing Sally and Carol Hilton on Diagnosis: Murder.
The youngest, Carrie Beth Van Dyke, was born on October 18, 1961, and also made appearances on her father’s show.
Van Dyke and Willet Divorced in 1984
The two ended their marriage in 1984 after a long separation. Both had faced personal battles that strained their relationship and family life. Van Dyke had struggled with alcoholism for 25 years, a problem he later admitted was affecting his behavior at home. “When I went into therapy, I realised I was repeating my father’s mistakes,” he recalled, explaining that his father had also been a heavy drinker before quitting at his mother’s urging.
During one rehab stay, Van Dyke discovered that his then-wife, Willett, too, was dealing with her own dependency. “When I pledged to quit and entered a rehab clinic, Margie checked in as I checked out,” he said. “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.” He later described their addictions as “symptomatic of deeper problems” in the marriage.
Around this period, Van Dyke met former actress Michelle Triola, someone he said was “feisty, smart and, unlike Margie, knew the showbiz world inside out.” In his memoir Keep Moving, he revealed their connection began in the early 1970s, after he completed treatment for alcoholism. Soon after, Willett spent more time at the family’s desert ranch, while Van Dyke grew closer to Triola.
How Did Dick Van Dyke’s First Wife, Margie Willett, Die?
Willett died in 2008 at the age of 81, a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her death had a profound effect on Dick Van Dyke, who admitted, “I lost a part of myself.”
The following year, he endured another loss when Michelle Triola, his partner for more than three decades, died from lung cancer.
Van Dyke remembered a conversation from her final days, recalling how she once asked if she was going to die. Not wanting to frighten her, he told her otherwise — a moment he described as the hardest acting he had ever done. After her passing, he realised he had never been without someone looking out for him.
In time, Dick found love again with his current wife, makeup artist Arlene Silver.
