Dick Van Dyke Thought He’d Be Alone after Twice Widowed Yet Shows Wife Big Family at 97

• Dick Van Dyke had an alcohol addiction that lasted two decades.
• He also lost two women he deeply cared about to cancer.
• The actor is now happily married to his younger wife, and he is “grateful” to be a dad and a grandparent.

Dick Van Dyke is an award-winning veteran star who has been married twice in his lifetime. He first wed at age 20 to Margie Willet, “a local girl” he grew up with in Danville, Illinois.

The young couple did not have money to walk down the aisle then, but a radio producer offered to pitch in for their honeymoon if they agreed to get married live on the radio, and they agreed.

During an August 2016 interview, Van Dyke revealed, “So, in 1948, we exchanged our vows in front of a minister and two radio microphones while 15 million people listened!”

The entertainer described his wife as “earthy and artistic.” She did not like Hollywood very much, as she was sidelined when attending public events with him, especially when people wanted his attention. Van Dyke further divulged:

“She wore her hair short and eschewed makeup, and we were often mistaken for brother and sister. Once, when I appeared on a magazine cover, Margie snapped up six copies, and the cashier asked if she was my mother.”

Van Dyke and Willet welcomed four children together—Carrie, Christian, Barry, and Stacy. He also disclosed that the family matriarch initially miscarried twins.

Speaking about their household, the entertainer said the mother of his children carried the family while also taking credit for his role.

However, after realizing he was following in his father’s footsteps by being an alcoholic, Van Dyke admitted he could have been a better role model for his brood. “I was an alcoholic for 25 years, which inevitably impacted on my family life,” the comedian added.

Van Dyke’s father used to come home heavily drunk, and his mother would threaten to leave him if he did not pull himself together. Thankfully, his dad eventually stopped drinking.

Van Dyke chose the same path and promised to quit drinking, but just when he checked out of rehab, his wife checked in as she was addicted to antidepressants.

The actor noted that he was oblivious to what was happening with his spouse. “Our addictions were symptomatic of deeper problems in our relationship, and we were drifting apart,” he acknowledged. This led to the couple’s divorce in 1984.

When Van Dyke and Willet’s marriage crumbled, he met former actress Michelle Triola. “She was feisty, smart and, unlike Margie, knew the showbiz world inside out,” said “The Dick Van Dyke Show” host.

The pair were happily together for 35 years but never tied the knot. Van Dyke revealed they had discussed marriage before, but he could not get Triola to agree on a date.

Meanwhile, his former wife, Willet, passed away in 2008 due to pancreatic cancer. “I lost a part of myself,” said the Missouri native of Willet’s passing.

Things took another turn when Triola was also diagnosed with lung cancer. Van Dyke shared that when she asked him about her fate, he acted as if he did not know what would happen to her. And after Triola passed away, the Hollywood A-lister admitted:

“I realized I had never been without a companion looking out for me.”

Van Dyke finally found happiness after meeting makeup artist Arlene Silver at the SAG Awards in 2006. He gushed about her beauty and revealed that he introduced himself to her.

The Golden Globe Award winner recalled meeting Silver for the first time during a February 2013 interview. He was mesmerized by her eyes. As for her, she stated that she did not know him as an actor, but she was glad she knew him as an individual first instead of as a Hollywood star.

The two became friends and formed a work-related relationship as Van Dyke hired Silver for his movie. But after Triola died in 2009, Silver was so supportive of Van Dyke that she even brought him food at work.

Their romantic relationship developed from there onwards, and Van Dyke admitted that he fell in love with Silver. But the “Mary Poppins” star was worried about how people would perceive their age gap. Van Dyke’s eldest child, Christian, was skeptical about this partnership mainly because of their 46-year age difference.

Following the couple’s nuptials in 2012 after Silver moved into Van Dyke’s Malibu home in 2011, Christian had a change of heart and told his famous father that he now understood.

As for the father of four, he said the age gap is not a factor in their lives. When the lovebirds marked their first wedding anniversary in January 2013, Van Dyke was asked about being a newlywed with Silver. He raved about his life with her, saying:

“Unbelievable! It’s one of the smartest moves I ever made. She makes me happy. She’s very mature for her age, and I’m very immature for my age, so it’s just about right!”

Despite his son’s initial skepticism, Van Dyke was surprised at how his family warmly welcomed Silver into their lives. The Grammy Award winner, who’s now married to Silver for ten years, divulged:

“My grandkids call her Grandma. My four kids just love her.”

When asked in a 2013 interview whether he loved being a grandparent, the Tony Award winner answered, “I love it. They call me crazy grandpa.”

In addition to his children, Van Dyke has seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He said if he lived long enough, he could become a great-great-grandfather.

On June 20, 2023, the Emmy Award winner posted a hilarious video featuring him, his wife, kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids on Father’s Day. The family gathered around a couch to mark the occasion and made funny faces on the clip.

The 97-year-old family patriarch penned a touching message on the Instagram post, stating he was not aware how much his life would be impacted after having children. “I never realized when I was first having kids what I was starting. But, I’m amazed and grateful to have lived long enough to spend Father’s Day with some of my kids, grandchildren AND great-grandchildren!”