- Dick Van Dyke renovated the home he once shared with his love of more than thirty years, Michelle Triola. She sadly died in this humble abode.
- Van Dyke has been open about the couple's trials over the years, but he finally found love in the end.
- The veteran star, who has four children, is now happily married to a much younger wife whom his son did not approve of at the beginning of their relationship.
Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke dated actress Michelle Triola for three decades, but they never walked down the aisle. The couple did have the marriage talk, but it never materialized.
Van Dyke and Triola started dating in 1976, but several years later, their relationship experienced health challenges that took its toll on them.
Actors Dick Van Dyke and Michelle Triola attend Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Ceremony on February 25, 1993 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
The actor, who starred in the sitcom, "The Dick Van Dyke Show," spoke candidly about the ordeal in an August 2016 interview, revealing the California native was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009:
"When she asked if she was going to die, I pretended I didn't know – the hardest acting I have ever done. After she passed, I realized I had never been without a companion looking out for me."
Van Dyke, 97, discussed Triola's last moments in his book, "Keep Moving," saying they never imagined she would die before him. However, he admitted that she was not taking care of herself, and they both ignored that immutable fact.
"She drank, smoked, and was overweight. She treated life as if it were a party," the entertainer explained. He revealed Triola spent her last morning on the phone with her friends, and in the afternoon that same day, she slipped into a coma.
Dick Van Dyke and Michelle Triola attend "The Lost World" screening at Cineplex Odeon Cinema on May 19, 1997 in Universal City, California | Source: Getty Images
The last thing she told the award-winning stage star was that he made her a "better person." Van Dyke expressed how he felt during that difficult time in his life, saying:
"Few words convey the sadness and helplessness of saying goodbye to someone you love."
Dick Van Dyke and Michelle Triola arrive at the Geffen Playhouse's annual Backstage at the Geffen Gala on March 17, 2008 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Triola fought cancer for 18 months before she passed away at age 75 in October 2009. She took her last breath at the couple's home in Malibu, California.
Before moving there, the duo had cohabited at the Marina City Club for some time. Van Dyke reportedly purchased the Malibu house for $750,000 in September 1986.
Van Dyke's Fateful Meeting With His Current Wife Who Moved in with Him
After Van Dyke's partner of 35 years died, makeup artist Arlene Silver, whom he met at the SAG Awards in 2006, often brought him food at his home after work. "She was such a support, I fell in love," he expressed in a February 2013 interview. The comedian recalled the first time he met Silver and said he was captivated by her "beautiful eyes."
He introduced himself, and they instantly became friends, and their relationship developed from there. However, the couple's 46-year age difference was an issue, especially for Van Dyke's eldest child, Christian Van Dyke. According to the "Mary Poppins" star, his son was the only person skeptical about their romance.
Arlene Silver and her husband Dick Van Dyke attend the Backstage At The Geffen Fundraiser at the Geffen Playhouse on June 4, 2012 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
But after the family patriarch and Silver tied the knot in February 2012, Christian had a change of heart and told his father he was now understanding of his decision. The Golden Globe Award winner's family's reaction stunned him because they warmly accepted his new wife.
As for the lovebirds, the age gap does not matter to them because they balance each other out. Silver moved in with Van Dyke into his Malibu home the year before they wed, in 2011.
Van Dyke Builds Happy Retirement Place from His Old Home
Now nearly a hundred years old, Van Dyke is enjoying his retirement in style after deciding to rework his beloved home he once shared with Triola.
The house, which Van Dyke, who is also a dad to Stacy, Barry, and Carrie Van Dyke, has owned for 37 years, features three bedrooms and two bathrooms and is situated in a luxurious gated community.
After buying it for hundreds of thousands, the property is estimated to be worth a reported $7.7 million. The amenities include a bar, a water slide into an adjacent pool, a surfboard, and a boogie board.
The exterior ground of Van Dyke's mansion features a small patio area, a golf putting area, an art studio, a dance studio, and an entertainment hut.
The Grammy Award winner reportedly gets around the property and community via a golf buggy and a vintage caravan. The abode sits on 2,226 square feet of land and was built in 1973.
Over the years, Van Dyke, who was previously married to Margie Willet, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2008, has been hosting Halloween events at his home. He has reportedly celebrated these occasions with gestures such as special effects, candy barrels, and animatronic humans.
The "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" star is said to have been playing a critical role within the community. In October 2022, he reportedly gave out $5 bills to individuals looking for jobs at the Malibu Community Labor Exchange.
The Missouri native once stated, "Whenever I have some fives, I come by. You can't do it all the time, though." He has been praised for his good deeds.
Dick Van Dyke and his wife Arlene Silver photographed at home during a photo shoot on April 21, 2016 in Malibu, California | Source: Getty Images
An employee at the nonprofit organization described the four-time Primetime Emmy Award winner as "an angel from God" for helping people at the venue.
Van Dyke seems to have recovered after being involved in an auto accident in March 2023 in Malibu. The movie star was driving a Lexus LS 500 when he crashed into a gate, cutting his lip, but he got stitched up.
Dick Van Dyke photographed at home during a photo shoot on April 21, 2016 in Malibu, California | Source: Getty Images
Weeks after the incident, the "Diagnosis: Murder" alum revealed to reporters that he still felt pain all over his body following the accident.
The Tony Award winner, who filmed a cameo for the soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," earlier this year, further disclosed that his airbag did not deploy, so his face hit the steering wheel. "I'm 97, all my friends are dead," he said.
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