Walter Maxwell Cline

Walter Maxwell Cline, known as "Walt" to neighbors and friends and as "Max" to family, died Monday, Dec. 18, 2006, at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, after a long illness. His two surviving sisters were with him when he died. Max was born in Raleigh on July 3, 1933, to Ambrose Schenck Cline and Betty Rand Cline, who preceded him in death. After attending N.C. State for one year, he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953. After his discharge from the Air Force, he graduated from Spartan School of Aviation in Tulsa, Okla., and began a very successful lifelong career in aviation. Max began as a certified aircraft mechanic for Piedmont Airlines, rising to lead mechanic and then chief inspector for US Airways with the heavy responsibility for final decision whether a repaired airplane would be permitted to fly. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Josephine Cline Schreffler; and brother, A. Schenck Cline Jr. Max is survived by sisters Betty Anne Cline Pearce and husband William B. Pearce of Raleigh and Belle Cline Frazer of Goldsboro; and sister-in-law Martha Martin Cline of Myrtle Beach, S.C. Also surviving are his 10 loves and life's delights - his nieces and nephews, Elizabeth Rand Pearce, Will Pearce Jr., Anne Pearce Watkins, David E. Schreffler III, Vivian Schreffler Sillman, Mark Cline Schreffler, Randi Schreffler Wade, Bob Frazer Jr., Betsy Frazer Craft and Rebecca Frazer Fulbright. Max was a member of Edenton Street United Methodist Church all his life, but because he loved Kildaire Farm and the outdoors so much, his family is having only graveside services conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, in the Cline Plot in Hillcrest Cemetery in Cary, with the Rev. Kathryn Johnson officiating. Memorials may be made to Edenton Street United Methodist Church, Ruth Sheets Center, 228 W. Edenton St., Raleigh, NC 27603, or Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.brown-wynne.com.