Margie was born in Danville, Illinois, United States. She was an American citizen of white ethnicity.
How old was Margie Willett?
Margie Willett's age at death was 81 years old.
Why was Margie Willett famous?
Margie into the spotlight following her marriage to American actor Dick Van Dyke.
What was Margie Willett's net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, her ex-husband has a net worth of $50 million.
How did Margie Willett meet Dick Van Dyke?
Margie and Dick Van Dyke met in Danville, Illinois, United States, in 1947. After dating for a year, they exchanged their wedding vows on 12 February 1948 on a radio live broadcast show, Bride and Groom, due to financial problems. The show's producer sponsored their honeymoon.
In an interview with The Guardian, Dick Van Dyke mentioned:
We exchanged our vows in front of a minister and two radio microphones while 15 million people listened!
They divorced due to infIdelity. The actor cheated on his wife with Michelle Triola, his agent's secretary by then. He confessed to his wife in 1974 after dating Michelle privately. They separated for eight years before finalising their divorce on 4 May 1984.
Willett never had any other relationship after her divorce from the actor. Dick got into a relationship with a former actress Michelle Triola Marvin whom they spent 35 years before her death in 2009. In 2012, Dick married Arlene Silver, a makeup artist, who is 46 years younger.
Here is how the actor commented about their marriage in an interview with The Guardian:
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.
Margie Willett's children
The ex-couple has four children, two daughters, Stacy and Carrie Beth, and two sons, Barry and Christian. Willett also suffered a miscarriage and lost twins.
Barry followed in his father's footsteps by becoming an actor. He is well known for his roles in TV series and films such as Diagnosis Murder, Remington Steele and Heavenly Deposit. Barry has been married to Mary Carey since 1974. They share four children, Carey, Taryn, Wes and Shane.
Stacy is a former actress best known for starring in the movies and TV series, Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity and The New Dick Van Dyke Show. She is married to Mike Breen, and they have two children, one called Ryan.
Christian was born on 13 May 1950. He is married to Caroline A Heller. They welcomed their daughter Jessica Lee in 1974. Jessica passed away in 1987. They also have two other children, a son and a daughter.
Carrie Beth was born on 27 August 1962. She is married to Kevin McNally and has two children.
What happened to Margie Willett?
Dick Van Dyke's first wife passed away in 2008 at the age of 81 years old. Pancreatic cancer was Margie Willett's cause of death. Even though Dick had long divorced Margie, he felt devastated by her death. According to Country Living, he said:
Even though we were long divorced, with her death, I lost a part of myself.
Why did Dick Van Dyke leave his first wife?
He cheated on his first wife with Michelle Triola, his then-agent's secretary.
Who are Margie Willett's grandchildren?
Willet has more than ten grandkids, the known ones being Shane, Wes, Carey, Ryan and Jessica.
