Pauline Kline passed away in Hackettstown, N.J. on August 12, 2016 at the age of 99. She enjoyed a vibrant and active life, enriching the lives of her family and friends with a twinkle in her eyes, a perpetual smile, carefully crafted letters, sage advice and genuine concern for others. A long career as a registered nurse and her personal religious faith were evident in how she lived her life as a caring, considerate and engaged member of society.
Pauline was born to Ruth and Glenn Tripp on December 8, 1916 in a railroad boxcar that had been converted into a house at the O&W Railroad station in East Guilford, New York, where her father worked as the station agent. She met Richard Kline, her future husband, in a one-room schoolhouse in Rockdale, N.Y. when they were 11 years old. They were married in 1940, after she graduated from the Binghamton City Hospital School of Nursing and Richard graduated from Cornell University. Her nursing career began in obstetrics and she worked as a hospital nurse in numerous cities across New York State, before becoming an office nurse for the local physician. After retiring, she employed her nursing skills by being a faithful resource to friends and family members, helping them deal with problems and brightening their days with wit and smiles.
Her religious faith sustained her and provided a productive outlet for her. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church and over a sixty-year period, Pauline held leadership roles at the local and district levels in connection with Youth Programs and United Methodist Women. She was an active member of the Broad Street United Methodist Church in Norwich, N.Y. until moving to a retirement community in New Jersey in 2008.
Richard E. Kline, her loving husband, predeceased Pauline in 1984. Pauline is survived by her sons and their wives: Richard S. and Jan Kline of Califon, N.J. and J. Peter and Caren Kline of Dallas, TX., her four grandchildren: Julie Novick, Douglas Kline, Catherine Wrightson and Christina Kline, and two great-grandchildren: Joseph and Kelsey Novick. Pauline’s older sister, Francis Ackley died in 2015 at the age of 99 and her husband’s siblings, Burton and Louise Kline, who were also long time residents of Norwich, N.Y, also predeceased her.
A memorial service will be conducted at 4:00 p.m. on August 16th at the Lower Valley Presbyterian Church in Califon, N.J. and a family graveside service will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on August 17th at the Crown Hill Memorial Park in New Hartford, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Pauline Kline to the Broad Street United Methodist Church, 74 N. Broad Street, Norwich, New York 13815.