Bob Kline

Robert Charles (Bob) Kline, was born September 21, 1955 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania to Harry and Hildegarde (Streitwieser) Kline. Bob left us suddenly on September, 23, 2023.

Bob’s daughter-in-law, Aletheia, described him as charming, sensitive, loving, intelligent, and duty-filled. She may not have known him as long as others, but she captured his essence perfectly.

He was an extremely hard, hands-on worker his entire life, starting at age 11, mowing the lawns of a hotel in Morgantown, PA. Whatever Bob took on, he strived to do it right and well, whether it was taking care of his yard, painting over a previous owner’s strange choices, smoking a pork shoulder, or being repair man for almost anything except plumbing! Quiet time for Bob meant listening to Pink Floyd while at the gym or some light reading before bed such as the recently completed, War and Peace.

Bob was passionate about his work in the defense industry, having begun his career in the United States Air Force. He believed in the mission and the customers throughout his long career, one that included Hughes Air Craft, Amber Engineering, Raytheon, L3 Technologies, L3Harris and Elbit Systems of America. Bob was driven to make a difference, both for the companies he worked for and the people he worked with. He took great personal satisfaction from the team building and relationships made among colleagues.

While Bob’s recent work still included more travel than he’d like, it allowed for a better work/life balance. He greatly appreciated his time at home. Many of Bob’s weekends this past summer were spent in Norman, Oklahoma, home of his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma. Bob and Tena purchased property there, looking ahead towards his retirement. It was a project, as were most of their homes! However, Bob couldn’t have been happier, all the fun ahead with his new John Deere and chain saw. Reconnecting with friends, that he made many years ago when playing rugby, brought him great joy. He was looking forward to living amongst them again. Boomer Sooner!

However, the true light of Bob’s life was his family. Whether it was coaching his sons, Kevin and Brett, on the baseball field or watching them marry their loves, Bob was always a very proud father. A smaller, but still important part of Bob’s family, were his German Shepherd dogs. Zeva will miss her favorite playmate.

Bob is survived by his wife, Tena. They were best friends and devoted partners for over 30 years. He is also survived by his sons Kevin (Linden) and Brett (Aletheia), grandchildren Cameron and Lucas, sisters Ruth (Bill) Kennedy and Terry (Charles) Sheldon, and many nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, sister and brother-in-law Shirley and Milton Howe.

Please, no flowers. If you wish to do something in Bob’s honor, please consider making a donation to the Humane Society of North Texas or Soldiers’ Angels.

An email address has been created to collect whatever you may want to share about Bob for his family. Any thoughts, stories, and pictures are welcome and greatly appreciated. bobklinememorial@gmail.com As travel for a memorial may not be possible, this is a way for all to be included. Bob touched so many people over the years.

There will be two memorial events since Bob’s career took him to all across the U.S. This will hopefully offer opportunity for any who wish to gather and share in the comradery that meant to so much to him.

Saturday, October 14th at Mesero in Southlake, TX 12:00 pm – 3:00pm
Saturday, October 28th at the Palace Grill in Santa Barbara, CA, 12:00 - 3:00pm