- Dick Van Dyke is 98 years old.
- He was married twice: to Margerie Willet and Arlene Silver.
- Dick Van Dyke had four children in his first marriage: two sons and two daughters.
The legendary actor Dick Van Dyke — who is being celebrated during the 2023 CBS Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic special — has had one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood. Born on December 13, 1925, in Missouri, Dick got his start in radio as a DJ before touring nightclubs with a comedic mime act. At the age of 34, he landed the lead role of Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie, which earned him a Tony Award! Dick became a household name when he starred in his own sitcom from 1961 to 1966 called The Dick Van Dyke Show, which also featured Mary Tyler Moore as his wife. On the big screen, the comedian would win hearts in Mary Poppins alongside Julie Andrews and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where he played a loveable inventor. Later in his career, he would find a new legion of fans for his TV series Diagnosis: Murder, which ran on CBS from 1993 to 2001.
In his personal life, Dick has married twice: to Margerie Willett from 1948 to 1984 and to Arlene Silver in 2012. His marriage to Margerie saw the couple welcome four children: Christian, Barry, Stacy, and Carrie Beth. Find out all about them, below.
Christian Van Dyke
Christian is Dick and Margerie’s firstborn child, although his birthdate is not publicly known. He appeared alongside his famous father on The Dick Van Dyke Show before taking a more conventional career path. Christian became an attorney and also worked as a marketing director for Nike USA, according to Glamour Path.
Christian welcomed daughter Jessica Lee Van Dyke with his wife Carline A. Heller on January 1, 1974, in Phoenix, per the outlet. Sadly, she reportedly died at the age of 13 in 1987 due to a rare disease.
Barry Van Dyke
Born on July 31, 1951, in Atlanta, Barry grew up to follow in his father’s footsteps. After appearing alongside his brother Christian in The Dick Van Dyke Show as a child, Barry would reunite onscreen with dad Dick for Diagnosis: Murder in a lead role. He would go on to make appearances in such 1980s hits like Remington Steele, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., and The Dukes of Hazzard.
In a 1987 interview for Born Famous, Barry spoke about how his father let him choose his path in Hollywood. “I think he wanted me to find my own way, in my own time, and to be able to feel like I had done it on my own. So, I appreciate that.”
In 1974, he married Mary Carey. The couple would go on to welcome four of their own children: Carey, Shane, Wes, and Taryn.
Carrie Beth Van Dyke
Carrie Beth is the third child of Dick and Margie. Following her older brothers’ leads, she tried her hand in acting as well, appearing in two episodes of The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1971 as a Girl Scout. Carrie Beth has no other credits to her name and being quite the private person, little is known about her, other than she married Kevin McNally in 1983, and the couple welcomed two children together, according to IMDB.
Stacy Van Dyke
As the youngest of Dick and Margie’s brood, Stacy still got a bit of the acting bug. She made an appearance on The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1971. Years later, she landed a role on The Mike Douglas Show, according to Closer. Much like her older sister, Stacy is a very private person and stays out of the spotlight. Other than a part in 2002’s Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity, little else is known about Stacy.