Marc Blucas, an actor from the Hallmark Channel, recently discussed his involvement in the restoration of his 300-year-old farmhouse in Pennsylvania. This interview, originally from 2016, resurfaced following the tragic death of his mother-in-law, Dayle Haddon, a former supermodel, due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
In the eight-year-old interview, Blucas — who is married to Haddon’s daughter, Ryan Haddon — described the home as a meaningful family project.
The 52-year-old revealed that he and Ryan Haddon, 53, purchased the 1711-built property to ‘be closer to family.’
‘It’s pretty amazing,’ Blucas said. ‘And it’s a way to stay creatively stimulated when I’m not out filming and working.’
He added that his love for DIY projects and historic structures inspired the move to the East Coast
Blucas expressed his passion for hands-on work, particularly in a unique setting like his farmhouse, which boasts historic architecture such as old stone barns and houses. He emphasized that these restoration projects have become a lifelong endeavor for him.
Aside from his acting career, Blucas is widely recognized for his portrayal of Riley Finn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In a touching Instagram post from 2021, he shared more about his personal journey and reflections on the restoration process.
He shared that after moving to Pennsylvania a decade earlier, he obtained his contractor’s license and took on multiple restoration projects.
‘When we moved to Pennsylvania 10 years ago, my wife took a giant leap of faith…by allowing me to pursue a dream to find a historic property that I could restore for our growing family,’ he wrote in the post’s caption.
‘That’s a really nice way of saying I wanted to buy — and live in — a s——-. A place I could re-imagine. One that was going to require patience, love and effort to make it a finished product.’
He continued: ‘And while I’m not sure that’s ever an attainable result with a 310 year old farmhouse, we have created something magical along the way, and hopefully showed our kids the value of hard work, preserving our historic buildings and the gratification that comes with learning new things and doing them yourself.’
Tragically, Dayle Haddon was found unresponsive in a second-floor bedroom of the Bucks County home on Friday, Dec. 27.
According to an official police report, emergency responders also discovered 76-year-old Walter Blucas unconscious on the first floor.
He was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., where he continues to receive treatment.
The investigation determined that a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on the gas heating system caused a carbon monoxide leak.
‘This tragic incident is a stark reminder of the importance of carbon monoxide safety in our homes,’ the police report stated in a Dec. 28 update.
Blucas and Ryan, who married in 2012, share two daughters.
Ryan also has two children from her previous marriage to Christian Slater.
Dayle Haddon enjoyed a successful modeling career spanning decades.
Her peak was in the 1970s and ’80s, gracing covers like Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (1973) and appearing twice on Harper’s Bazaar’s Ten Most Beautiful Women list.
Even in her 70s, she remained active, featuring in Vogue as recently as August 2024. Haddon, born in Montreal, Canada in 1948, became a prominent face for cosmetics giants like Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, Max Factor, and Revlon.
Beyond modeling, she pursued a career in film, appearing in several American productions in the 1970s, including “The World’s Greatest Athlete” (1973) alongside Jan-Michael Vincent.
After relocating to Europe, her focus shifted towards international cinema, though she continued to appear in occasional American films, such as “North Dallas Forty” (1979) with Nick Nolte and “Cyborg” (1989) starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. She also had small roles in Woody Allen’s “Bullets Over Broadway” (1994) and “Celebrity” (1998).
Fluent in both French and English, Haddon dedicated her later years to activism. She served as a UNICEF ambassador and founded WomenONe, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education for girls and women.
