Dina Merrill: marriage, children, net worth, and cause of death

Dina Merrill grew up in a wealthy family, and she enjoyed a childhood of incredible privilege. Her family owned the Mar-a-Lago, and she spent her summers on the Sea Cloud, her family's luxurious yacht, in the 1930s. But Dina felt she needed something of her own. Thus, she pursued a career in acting without asking her parents. Initially, Merrill took on modelling jobs and later became a film actress, with her debut role in Four Star Playhouse portraying Marcia in 1955. Since then, she went on to become one of the best actresses of her generation.

Dina Merrill was an American actress, heiress, model, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She was best known as the daughter of businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress of Post Cereals, owner of General Foods, and at one time one of the richest woman in the United States.

Although people associated her name with a wealthy family, Merrill was also an outstanding actress. She appeared in many films, television shows, and theatrical plays, including Operation Petticoat (1959), The Tenth Month (1979), and Hot Pursuit (1984).

Dina Merrill's profile summary

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Early life

Dina Merrill was born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton on 29 December 1923 in New York, United States. She was the only child of Marjorie Merriweather Post (mother) and Edward Francis Hutton (father). Merrill's mother was a businesswoman, socialite, philanthropist, and the owner of General Foods and Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida.

Her father was a Wall Street stockbroker and founder of E.F. Hutton & Co. Although Merrill was the only child of her parents, she had two older half-sisters, Adelaide Breevort (Close) Hutton and Eleanor Post (Close) Hutton. The two half-sisters were born by her mother (Marjorie Merriweather Post) when she was previously married to Edward Bennett Close.

Dina attended Miss Porter's School, a private college preparatory school for girls in Farmington, Connecticut. After high school, she joined George Washington University in Washington, DC. However, Merrill did not finish college and only attended the institution for one term.

She ultimately dropped out and went to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. After her studies, she took $10 an hour modelling jobs and successfully landed her first role as an actress in 1955.

Professional career

Dina Merrill started her career as a model, taking on $10 modelling jobs. In 1955, she landed her first role as an actress when she portrayed Marcia in the TV series Four Star Playhouse. Merrill appeared in her first film in 1957 when she played Sylvia Blair in Desk Set.

Her life as an actress took shape, and she landed leading roles in many TV shows and films. In 1961, she appeared in The Two Young Savages as Karin Bella and Twenty Plus Two as Nicki Kovacs.

Merrill retired as an actress in 2009 after playing an uncredited role as Woman in Courtroom in Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. But before her retirement, she appeared in over 30 films, 20 television films, and over 50 television shows. Apart from acting, she held board memberships for:

• John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
• The New York City Mission Society
• E. F. Hutton & Co.

Husband and children

Before her death on 22 May 2017, aged 93, Dina had been in three marriages, with two ending in divorce. She first married Stanley Maddox Rumbough Jr. in 1946. Stanley was an American businessman, entrepreneur, member, and heir of Colgate-Palmolive toothpaste. He was the founder, chief executive officer, or director of more than 40 companies.

Dina and Stanley welcomed three children, Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, David Post Rumbough, and Stanley Rumbough III. Unfortunately, the couple divorced in 1966. On 8 September 1973, Dina Merrill's son, David Post Rumbough (born 27 September 1949), died in a boating accident in choppy seas in Gardiner's Bay off Eastern Long Island.

The authorities recovered his remains on 13 September. After divorcing Stanley in 1966, Dina married actor Cliff Robertson later the same year. The couple welcomed their first daughter named Heather Robertson. Unfortunately, Dina Merrill's daughter died on 29 April 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dina and Cliff enjoyed 20 years of marriage and divorced in 1986.

Three years after divorcing Cliff Robertson, Merrill married Ted Hartley. Theodore Ringwalt Hartley is a US Navy fighter pilot, investment banker, actor, and film producer and is currently the CEO of RKO Pictures. Dina and Ted were still in marriage before her death in 2017.

Dina Merrill's net worth and cause of death

Dina worked as an actress, model, businesswoman, and philanthropist. However, she was also an heir to a fortune left behind by her parents, worth more than $250 million in the 1920s. Merrill's parents had started the Post Foundation, which Dina inherited.

They constructed the Mar-a-Lago resort, but her mother later willed the entire estate to the United States government. But since it was expensive to maintain, the US government returned it to the Post Foundation.

Dina then sold the estate to Donald Trump for $7 million in 1985. Although she made money through salaries, Merrill's net worth at death was $5 billion. What was Dina Merrill's cause of death? Her cause of death was Lewy body dementia.

Dina Merrill fast facts

Dina Merrill was an American actress, heiress, model, socialite, businesswoman, philanthropist, and the daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Unfortunately, Dina died on 22 May 2017, aged 93. She had been in three marriages and had welcomed four children. Before her death, she had an estimated net worth of $5 billion.

Tuko.co.ke shared an article about Wajackoyah's running mate, Justina Wamae. Justina is a Kenyan businesswoman, advocate, newspaper contributor, and politician.

She is best known as the presidential running mate for the Roots Party led by presidential candidate's Wajackoyah. Furthermore, many people know her for her unusual stand on legalising the cultivation of m*rijuana in Kenya and using it to pay Kenyan debts.

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