Roy Lewis Kline

Roy Lewis Kline

Retired Marine Corps Brigadier General Roy Lewis Kline passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 11, 2020 at the age of 105.

Born in 1914 to Alice and Chester Kline, Roy grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. At the time of his birth, a gallon of milk was 36 cents and a loaf of bread cost just 6 cents.

At age 14, Roy earned his Eagle Scout badge and then turned his attention to flight. He started to fly gliders at the airport pulled by pickup trucks and quickly decided he wanted to become a pilot. Roy entered college at Iowa State University right as the Great Depression set in. He found an opportunity to be the house manager for the SAE fraternity in exchange for room & board, and ended up as president of the fraternity by the time he graduated with a degree in engineering.

In 1934, Roy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. It wasn't long before pilot wings were pinned to his uniform by the Captain who would later go on to fame in World War II as Admiral Chester Nimitz. He married Jean Cruikshank in 1938 and would spend nearly 65 years with Jean before she passed away.

While flight training in Coronado, California, Roy welcomed his daughter into the world, Julie. In 1941, he received orders to report to a new job in Washington, D.C. The very week he arrived, Pearl Harbor was bombed. During the war and for 29 total years, Roy's military career included assignments in both Asia and the United States. His family also grew by two more children, sons Roy C. (Kip) and Peter. By the time Roy retired from the Marine Corps in 1964, he had risen through the ranks to become a Brigadier General.

After leaving the Marine Corps, Roy moved with his family to Phoenix, Arizona where he was hired as a Motorola engineer for their newest manufacturing operation. Roy spent 20 years working for Motorola before retiring in the mid 1980s.

After his wife passed away in 2003, Roy continued to live at home with help from his son Kip. A special happiness for Roy was the many visits to his daughter's patio for his favorite cocktail: Absolute over ice, a splash of water and a lemon peel.

In 2018, Roy moved to Pueblo Norte in Scottsdale where he was affectionately known as "The General" by the wonderful staff. When he passed away, he was just 4 months from his 106th birthday. Roy is survived by his three children, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Semper Fi, General Kline and rest in peace.