Jesse Douglas Hartline

Jesse Douglas Hartline, 1936-2025. Jesse ( who always went by Doug ) was born in Bakersfield, California, on February 4, 1936, the third of six children to Jesse and Irene Hartline. Doug grew up in Bakersfield and spent most of his life there. He attended Bakersfield High School and was very proud to have played football there as a "Driller". His love of football never left him, nor did his love of sports. He would later play baseball in local leagues and would serve as an umpire for the Junior Baseball Association. He left high school early and received parental consent to join the Marine Corps at the age of 17 serving from 1953-1956, during which he was stationed in Korea. He was later active in the Marine Corps reserves and could always be spotted wearing a Marine Corps hat wherever he went.

Doug meant his love of his life, Donna Overturf, at the Fox Theater on March 17, 1956, and they married just two months later on May 18,1956. They quickly had four children together, and Doug worked hard to support their family. He worked as an electrician on the missile silos in Chino, California, during the Cold War, but soon returned to Bakersfield, where he continued this profession at the Signal Oil and Gas Refinery and even taught sixth grade while working toward a teaching credential and attending Bakersfield College where he received his AA. Coming from a family with construction skills, he became a city building inspector and then, as a general contractor, opened his own home-building business. He worked tirelessly at this, but his favorite job came along when he began inspecting hospitals and served as an independent inspector and project manager for hospital and school construction in Southern California. He loved this so much that he did not retire until he was 87, even driving nine hours to Sacramento to test and renew his certifications when required. During this time, he was also the caregiver for his wife Donna, for the last five years of her life. It was his love of work that kept him alive after he lost her seven years ago.

Doug was stead fast in his faith and spent many years serving God in various churches, as well as traveling with his wife Donna, to Christian conferences across the United States. Wherever they found a need, they would try to meet it. Together, they were one of the most generous couples you could ever meet.

Doug also loved his family and would enjoy enter acting with or teasing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is survived by his younger brother Danny Hartline, his four children, Doug and his wife Suzie, Don, Diana and her husband Paul and Darlisa and her husband Tab. His grandchildren, Jennifer, Katie and her husband Eric, Melissa, Julie, Annie and her husband Seth, Kimberly and her husband Jon, Trisha and her husband Adam, all who adore him and call him Grampee. He will be joining his grandson Christopher in Heaven. He now has seven great-grandchildren: Hudson, Lincoln, Silas (who he always wanted to call Edsel), Natalie, Emma, Oliver, Peyton, Rylee and Daniel. He also loved all of his wonderful nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at Greenlawn Funeral Home, 3700 River Blvd., on January 20, 2026.

Viewing at 10-11 am, Service 11-12 pm, graveside12-12:45 pm