The saying, “behind every successful man is a woman,” could never be truer when you look at reality TV show favorites Dr. Pol and his wife, Diane. Despite this being a family and business-based reality show, we do not see much of her on Nat Geo Wild’s The Incredible Dr. Pol, which concluded its 13-year run in July 2024 after 24 seasons.
But Diane has been pivotal to Dr. Pol’s success as a veterinarian and reality TV star. After all, they established a long-running business together, brought up a family, and kept a marriage for decades, with Diane working behind the scenes to make it happen.
You may have heard the rumors about the tragedy in the family, and given that we do not see her much, you may wonder just what happened to Dr. Pol’s wife, Diane.
The tragedy is true. It did happen and left an eternal scar on the family. Read on for the story.
Death Struck Diane’s Family
Diane and her husband, Dr. Pol, lost their grandson, Adam James Butch, aged 23 years. Adam was the son of Diane and Dr. Pol’s daughter, Kathleen “Kathy” Pol. He also had a younger sister, Rachel Butch.
As you might imagine, this news completely devastated Diane and her family, given how loving and tight-knit they are.
The family did not reveal much information about Adam’s cause of death. But sources close to him said he had battled with depression for a long time and was found dead in his room on September 18, 2019.
We did not see much of Adam on The Incredible Dr. Pol, although he did appear on an episode entitled “Show Me the Bunny” in 2017. His sister Rachel appeared in two episodes between 2017 and 2019.
At the time of his passing in 2019, Adam worked as a pharmacy technician at Rite Aid in Michigan and was dating Julia Shepherd. He was Dr. Pol’s firstborn grandchild, and the season 15 finale “Little Pol Peep,” which aired three days after his death, included a tribute crediting him as “beloved son, grandson and brother.”
Diane Also Lost Her Son-in-Law
Diane’s daughter, Kathy, was married to Gregory “Greg” Butch for twenty years. The two had two children, Adam Butch and Rachel Butch, and the family lived in Bay City, Michigan.
Unfortunately, Greg fell ill with cancer and bravely battled the disease for years before finally passing away on February 20, 2016, at age 50. Greg worked as a chemical technician for 22 years and married Kathy on July 30, 1995. He was featured in ice fishing episodes with Dr. Pol and Charles before his passing.
The nearly consecutive losses of her son-in-law in 2016 and her grandson just three years later in 2019 were devastating blows to Diane and the entire Pol family. Kathy endured these tragedies with quiet strength, supported by her tight-knit family.
Debunking False Rumors About Diane’s Health
In recent years, false rumors have circulated online claiming that Diane Pol died in 2022 or that she has been diagnosed with cancer. These claims are completely untrue and appear to stem from AI-generated content and misinformation websites.
As of January 2026, Diane Pol is alive and well. At 82 years old (she was born February 6, 1943), she continues to work as the office manager at Pol Veterinary Services in Weidman, Michigan. She appeared in 8 episodes of the family’s new spin-off series “The Incredible Pol Farm” in 2024 and continues to engage with fans through the family’s Cameo account and the “Incredi-Pol Cast” podcast.
Diane did undergo back surgery in 2018 to address chronic back pain, which led to fewer on-screen appearances in later seasons of The Incredible Dr. Pol. However, she remained active behind the scenes at the clinic throughout the show’s run.
The Pol family has not made any public statements about Diane having cancer or any other serious health issues. Fans should be cautious about unverified health claims they encounter online.
Who Is Dr. Pol’s Wife, Diane?
Born Diane K. Dalrymple on February 6, 1943, in Mayville, Michigan, Diane works as the office manager at Pol Veterinary Services, a veterinary clinic she started with her husband, Dr. Pol, which was featured on the reality television show, The Incredible Dr. Pol.
Pol and Diane met when they were young and continued with long-distance dating until they married and began living together.
The two lovebirds met on August 17, 1961, when Pol first came to the USA as an exchange student at Mayville High School, where Diane was a senior. Diane and her parents welcomed him at Detroit Airport, and Jan’s first impression was memorable. “My gosh, she’s tall!” he recalled later. In a February 2024 interview, Diane shared that her feelings for Jan began developing after he had been in the U.S. for about three or four months, possibly around Christmas.
Although Pol returned to the Netherlands after the school year ended in mid-1962, they continued dating through monthly letters. The couple married in 1967, and Diane taught elementary school in the Netherlands while Jan completed his veterinary studies at Utrecht University. They have now been married for over 58 years.
Diane and the famous veterinarian do not have a biological child but are blessed with three adopted children: Diane Louise Pol, Kathy Pol Butch, and Charles Pol, all of whom are doing well for themselves.
Not much is known about Diane Jr, once the daughter of Diane’s terminally ill best friend JoAnn who passed away from cancer when Diane Jr was 9 years old. Diane Jr joined the family at a young age and was officially adopted at 18. She previously worked in the hospitality industry, rising to become general manager at Holiday Inn & Suites Mount Pleasant, but has since transitioned to working as a Technical Communicator since July 2023. In April 2023, Diane Jr married Ryan Lapham, who has five children from a previous relationship.
Charles is the couple’s eldest son and basically made the popular reality tv show happen. He has a background in communications and has worked for well-known companies such as Paramount Pictures.
While working in Los Angeles, Charles and his friends wanted to make reality television shows. That idea only took shape once Charles proposed they do a reality tv show based on his veterinarian dad’s work. One thing led to another, and National Geographic TV picked up the idea, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Charles married his long-time girlfriend, Beth Oakes, on April 7, 2018 (they had been childhood friends from age 3 who reconnected as adults). They have two children, daughter Abigail (born October 19, 2019, now 6 years old) and son Silas (born July 12, 2021, now 4 years old). The family now stars in the spin-off series “The Incredible Pol Farm,” which premiered on Nat Geo Wild in January 2024, following three generations building a 350-acre farm in Central Michigan.
What Happened to Kathy Pol?
Despite the hardships of losing her husband in 2016 and then her son in 2019, Kathy has managed to move forward. Born on August 21, 1973, Kathy is now 52 years old and lives a deliberately private life in Bay City, Michigan.
She works as a phlebotomist in the McLaren Bay Region healthcare system, having graduated from Delta College in Bay City. Reports from 2018 suggested that she was in a romantic relationship with a man named Thomas Rakowski, though their current status remains unconfirmed as social media posts have been removed. Her daughter Rachel Butch remains close to the family.
What Is Diane Doing Now?
Diane K. Dalrymple Pol is a reading specialist and teacher by profession. She earned her degree at Michigan State University and taught at Harbor Beach Elementary School for years before going into the veterinary business with her husband.
After “The Incredible Dr. Pol” concluded its historic 24-season run on July 6, 2024, Diane continues her role as office manager at Pol Veterinary Services, which is now in its 44th year of operation. The clinic, located at 3959 W Jordan Rd, Weidman, MI 48893, has served over 500,000 patients and maintains more than 25,000 active clients.
At 82 years old, Diane remains active in the family business alongside her 83-year-old husband, who shows no signs of retiring. Dr. Pol continues to “routinely put in 14-hour days making farm calls and treating patients,” according to the clinic’s website.
Diane and Dr. Pol share their life with a menagerie of family pets including a Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Newfoundland, Friesian horses, cats, peacocks, chickens, ducks and tropical fish. Cats remain Diane’s favorite animal.
Is Dr. Pol’s Wife a Veterinarian?
Diane is not a vet but was brought up in an animal-loving family, growing up with a variety of family pets including dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, rabbits and even a woodchuck. She currently works as the office manager at Pol Veterinary Service.
The wife, mother, grandmother, and professional has definitely been through a lot in her personal life, especially with the almost consecutive passing of her son-in-law and young grandson. But she hasn’t given up and continues to be a strong pillar on the family and business front, even as the family transitions into new ventures like “The Incredible Pol Farm” and Dr. Pol’s expanding business empire, which now includes a comprehensive pet food line and European market expansion.
Diane’s quiet strength and resilience continue to inspire fans who have followed the Pol family’s journey for over a decade.
