Charles Cline

Obituary for
Charles Wallace Cline

CHARLES WALLACE CLINE
1928-2019

Charles Wallace Cline, age 90, died peacefully on February 15, 2019 with his wife, Kathleen, by his side. Born in Clayton, New Mexico on November 14, 1928 to Wallace and Anita Cline, Chuck grew up in Craig, Colorado. At Moffat County High School, he was a good student and a star athlete, lettering in football, basketball, and track all four years. He played the clarinet in the high school band as well as in a dance band. During these youthful years, he worked as a “roughneck” on a drilling crew and with the encouragement of his boss, decided on geology as his profession. He started college at Colorado School of Mines but transferred to Mesa Junior College where he also played football. In 1950, during the Korean War, he enlisted in the U. S. Air Force and served three years as an instructor of radar systems and electronics at Lowry AFB in Denver.

1951 was a stellar year for Chuck as he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in June and married his sweetheart, Kathleen Myers, in August. They were later sealed in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. He and Katie attended school together from the first grade until their high school graduation. After discharge from the USAF, Chuck graduated with his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from BYU and accepted a job with General Petroleum (a subsidiary of Mobil Oil Corporation). During his career at Mobil Oil, he traveled the world and made significant oil and gas discoveries with the teams he managed in California, Alaska, Indonesia, Nigeria, Canada, and the Arctic Islands. In a career spanning thirty-six years, Chuck made major contributions to the company. His peers described him as, “capable, truthful and morally straight” and “In all that he did, Chuck was invaluable. He was a business leader in a technical enterprise who was respected, admired, trusted and liked by all who knew him.”

During those years, the Clines moved twenty-four times. Katie, with her adventurer’s spirit, encouraged and supported Chuck. Strong family bonds were the result of their sweet and loving relationship. They were best friends. Chuck enjoyed taking his four daughters camping, hiking, skiing and to the beach when he was in town. He shared his love of football by bringing them to countless games. BYU was his all-time favorite football team! He also taught his girls, by his example, about work, honesty, integrity, and most of all, about humor. With Chuck, there was always a story to tell and a laugh to go along with it. Over the years he happily welcomed sons-in-law to the family. Finally, some male support! He loved his grandchildren and spent many satisfying hours attending games, recitals, graduations, courts of honor, and missionary farewells and homecomings. Chuck has had a huge influence on this generation of his family. Visits from his great grandchildren were a highlight of his life.

As a valiant disciple of Jesus Christ, Chuck served many years with youth as a Boy Scout leader, Young Men’s leader and Bishop in both California and Connecticut. His passion for family history culminated in a Church Service Mission in the Family History Center of the Alpine North Stake. When hearing of President Nelson’s invitation to the women of the church to read the Book of Mormon, Chuck’s response to Katie was, “I’m in!” Whether it was geology, family or church work, Chuck was all in. He was focused, dedicated and loved people. His testimony never wavered. His quick sense of humor and those twinkling blue eyes will be missed. But his legacy of love and faithfulness will be remembered by generations of his posterity.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, brother John Cline and great granddaughter Reese Thomas. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Myers Cline, daughters, Claudia Hutchings ( Richard), Fallon, NV, Carolyn Hawks (Robert), Riverton, UT, Janet Cline, Orem, UT, and Julie Mattingly ( Ty), Orem, UT, seventeen grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren.

As a family, we would like to thank the BYU nursing students, Valeo Hospice and the staff at Legacy Village of Provo for their kind and gentle service.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at Nelson Family Mortuary, 4780 North University Avenue, Provo, UT. There will be a viewing from 10:30-11:30 am prior to services on Saturday. Interment will be at Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy Utah.