Dick was born Richard Wayne Van Dyke on December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, the oldest child of Hazel McCord and Loren “Cookie” Van Dyke.  The family, which now included younger brother Jerry, soon moved to Danville, Illinois, a town of 30,000 which, for Dick, seemed to represent the solid values of the Heartland.  

Dick grew up nurtured by extended family and surrounded by good friends, some of whom would later make their own indelible marks on the entertainment industry.

Admittedly, “not a loner,” Dick met makeup artist Arlene Silver in the Green Room at the 2006 SAG Awards. Six years later and “on the spur of the moment,” they married on Leap Day, February 29, 2012, in a small private ceremony.

In September 2012, they hosted a wonderful party for family and friends to celebrate their marriage.  Working with a wedding planner and many other team members, Arlene created a unique event which she called the Seafoam Circus.  Click the link below for a closer look at this “one-of-a-kind” wedding.

On February 12, 1948, Dick wed his high school sweetheart, Margie Willett, during a live broadcast of the radio show “Bride and Groom.” They were married for 36 years and had four children — two sons, Christian and Barry, and two daughters, Stacy and Carrie Beth — before divorcing in 1984.

Dick found “comfortable compatibility” and a carefree lifestyle with a new partner, Michelle Triola.

The couple lived together from 1976 until her death in October 2009.  

Biography

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