Dick Van Dyke Says There Is ‘Not a Horse Thief’ Among His Sons & Daughters - Meet His 4 Children

Dick Van Dyke would've had six children with his ex-wife, Margie Willett, but a tragedy left them with only four. The star's offspring are now all adults who've given him many grandchildren.

All of Dick Van Dyke's children with his ex-wife, Margerie "Margie" Willett, were occasionally seen on his show, "The Dick Van Dyke Show." However, not all of them chose to follow in his footsteps by joining the entertainment industry.

Some of the television personality's children prefer private lives that are outside of the spotlight. In August 2016, Dick confessed something quite personal about his children to The Guardian.

The star revealed that Willett, his first wife, once carried twins but unfortunately miscarried, leaving them with only four. Dick said his wife had done all the work with bringing up their children, but he took some credit.

The "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" actor and Willett sadly divorced in 1984. He made it a point to focus on being a good father to all his children while juggling his acting work after the separation.

CHRISTIAN VAN DYKE – FIRSTBORN IN THE FAMILY

An exact date for Christian's birth isn't known, but after appearing on his father's show in 1961, he gave up acting altogether. According to the Altus Times article in April 1982, Christian became a successful deputy district attorney.

The firstborn Van Dyke child studied and graduated at the Arizona State University Law School. Before becoming an attorney, Christian previously worked as a clerk for the Oregon Supreme Court.

Dick's son also got to work for Nike USA as its marketing director and earned himself a net worth of almost $1 million. His wife is Caroline A. Heller, and according to a December 2020 Closer Weekly article, they share one child.

His IMDb profile said Christian had another child, Jessica, but she sadly passed away in 1987 at age 13 from Reye's syndrome. In June 2021, Distractify noted how Dick made it a point to ensure his late grandchild was never forgotten.

He became the spokesperson of the National Reye's Syndrome Foundation to help spread awareness about the disease. The syndrome causes swelling in the lungs and brain and can lead to death.

BARRY VAN DYKE FOLLOWED DAD'S FOOTSTEPS

The "Mary Poppins" star welcomed his second child, Barry, on July 31, 1951. Unlike Christian, he joined their father by becoming an actor and has featured in various films and television shows throughout the years.

Some people might recall seeing him on "A Twist of the Knife," "Murder 101," "Galactica," "Airwolf," and more. In a December 1986/7 interview, Dick revealed that his son was around 19 when he decided to get into acting.

The "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" actor said he had some trepidations with Barry following in his footsteps but never encouraged or discouraged him. Barry, in turn, was grateful that his father let him find his own path in life.

In his personal life, the star's second son has been married to his wife, Mary Carey Van Dyke, since 1974. Together they share four children, Taryn (who has a private Instagram account,) Shane, Carey, and Wes Van Dyke, while Barry has five grandchildren from Carey.

Wes's Instagram account revealed that he was a painter, artist, husband, and father. On the other hand, Carey has starred in several movies like Wes, including "Diagnosis Murder" and "Murder 101" alongside his father and siblings.

The “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” actor, [Dick Van Dyke] who has seven grandchildren and is a great-grandfather four times over, said he was proud of his grown children.

He's also appeared in "ER," "A Soldier's Love Story," and "6 Guns." According to his Instagram page, he has a partner and family, and unlike Wes, he shares more about his personal life and family on his account.

Not much is known about Shane except that he has the most Hollywood experience amongst his siblings. The "Diagnosis: Murder" star's son starred in "Super Shark" and the film "Arizona Summer."

CARRIE-BETH VAN DYKE PREFERS A PRIVATE LIFE

Carrie-Beth is "The Golden Girls" star's first daughter, and she's also an actor who appeared on her father's show, "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" in 1971. It isn't clear if she's still working as an actress, but she earned an estimated $100,000 with her work.

She's one of the "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" star's children who've chosen to lead a private life. Carrie-Beth has been married to Kevin McNally since 1983, and together they have two children.

STACY VAN DYKE ALSO KEEPS HER FAMILY LIFE A SECRET

Stacy, "The Carol Burnett Show" guest star's youngest and second daughter, also opted for a career in acting. She made her on-screen debut in 1971 on her father's series, "The New Dick Van Dyke Show."

The role got her noticed, and she landed a part years later on "The Mike Douglas Show" in 1979. Her last role was in "Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity" in 2002; however, she generally stays out of the limelight and keeps her life private too.

It seems Dick's family, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; all found their way into the movie industry and Hollywood in some form or another, despite him growing up with no show business connections in Danville, Illinois. Speaking about his children in 2011 to USA Today, he said:

"They all turned out great, I'm happy to say. Not a horse thief in the bunch."

The "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" actor, who has seven grandchildren and is a great-grandfather four times over, said he was proud of his grown children. In 2011 he was dating Arlene Silver married her the following year; they're still a couple but don't have any children together.

Dick said he was happier in 2011 than he'd ever been before. The star explained that having raised his children, paid his mortgage, and accomplished the things he wanted to do in his life left him with an incredible feeling of being as free as a bird!