Van Dillen earned a bachelor of science degree in meteorology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
Also a botanist, he particularly studied the cryptogams of leaving many new handwritten notes concerning the Scientific Classification classifying systems of Dillen, Johannes Hedwig (1730-1799) and Beauvoir.
While she traveled with her former husband of 24 years, Erik van Dillen, on the Grand Prix tennis circuit during his time as number one in the world in doubles with Stan Smith, to Davis Cup ties and with her brother, winner of the French Open doubles in Paris 1976 and a Davis Cup player, Fred McNair.
In April 2009 Continuum Contemporary Music of Toronto premiered 2 Cameras @ Sea, a collaboration between Oscar van Dillen and Canadian filmmaker Clive Holden, commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts.