Background
Van Runkle was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the illegitimate daughter of Courtney Bradstreet Schweppe (1885-1958), a reported member of the Schweppes beverage family, and Eltsy Adair (1909-2005), the latter of whom raised Van Runkle on her own in California.
Career
Her first marriage, to Robert Van Runkle when she was 16, ended in divorce, as did her second, to photographer Bruce McBroom. With Van Runkle, she had two children. The first films Van Runkle designed costumes for were, and, all of which starred Faye Dunaway, for whom Van Runkle also designed the gown Dunaway wore to the 1968 Oscars, as well as Dunaway"s complete off-screen wardrobe at the time.
Theadora Van Runkle was nominated for an Oscar for three of her projects: 1967"s Bonnie and Clyde, The Godfather: Participant II in 1974, and Peggy Sue Got Married in 1986.
Theadora Van Runkle died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of lung cancer on November 4, 2011.