Jack Kline

Remembering Jack Kline

Jack Kline passed away on November 22, 2025, at the age of 97. He was the beloved husband of May Kline and father of Kathy, Bob, Laura, Leslie, Karen, Rebecca, and Kristen, plus he was very much a father to May’s daughter, Lani. Additionally, Jack was the treasured grandfather of 15 and great-grandfather of 11. Friends and family will remember his quick wit, generous smile, and most of all his infectious laugh. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Family was very important to Jack, and he had a wonderful way of making others feel included. Community and faith also played important roles in Jack’s life. He was an active member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church where he volunteered with numerous programs, and he was active on the board and in various groups at Regent’s Point.

It was said that Jack liked every sport with a ball, but he kept himself exceptionally fit by playing squash, racquetball, and pickleball. Also an avid skier, Jack was a regular at Mammoth Mountain, eventually moving up to occupy the coveted locker #1. In later years, pickleball became his passion, playing multiple times per week well into his 90’s. He would happily teach pickleball to anyone who expressed an interest.

The first ten years of Jack’s life were spent in the small town of Pawnee, Oklahoma, with his parents, Hazel and Elmer, and his siblings, Bertie, Everett, and Jean.

In 1938, during the depression, Jack’s father bought a grocery store in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Elmer was a compassionate man who would extend credit to his customers even when he knew they couldn’t pay. After about two years, he didn’t have enough funds to keep the store going, so he took a job as a wholesale grocery salesman. Jack’s dad worked two or more jobs until he was out of debt and able to buy another grocery store, this one in Tulsa, a larger town where he was at last successful. This legacy of compassion and hard work would stay with Jack throughout his life.

Jack was in school during WWII, but after school and on weekends, he worked as a clerk in a dairy store, as a dishwasher at a restaurant, and somehow found time to play high school football. Financing college was going to be very difficult, so when he found out he could join the navy, learn a trade, and attend college on the GI bill, that’s what he did. In 1946, he enlisted in the navy at the age of 17. After boot camp and electronics training, he served in a destroyer group deployed in the Mediterranean as well as the Pacific. His final two years in the navy consisted of more electronics training in Kansas followed by an assignment as an Electronic Technician at the Naval Air Station in St. Louis, MO.

After the navy, Jack enrolled in engineering school at the University of Oklahoma. In three and a half years, he received his Bachelor of Engineering Physics with distinction and his Masters, also in Engineering Physics, based on work done on fluid flow in porous media. He eventually took a job with Douglas Aircraft at their Tulsa plant.

At Douglas, he was soon doing guidance and control work in the newly developing field of putting satellites into orbit. In 1960, Douglas moved to Santa Monica. In 1963, Jack oversaw the Delta Launch Vehicle program and helped to launch the Echo balloon (the first communication satellite). By 1966 he was launching weather satellites as the director of Delta Programs. Additionally, Jack played an instrumental role in launching the first GPS satellites and received recognition as a Pathfinder of the Celestial Sea.

When the Japanese government wanted help to develop space launch capability, Jack was assigned to work out the arrangements with Japan and was eventually asked to oversee the Japanese Space Program. When the Japanese had successfully launched their first satellite, Jack was put to work evaluating and developing other business opportunities.

After 30 years in aerospace engineering, he retired to help one of his daughters start a property management business. He enjoyed a long and active retirement, traveling frequently both to visit family and on adventures such as hiking at Machu Pichu, driving across New Zealand, and a safari in Africa.

As we remember Jack Kline’s extraordinary life, let us celebrate a life defined by kindness, adventure, and devotion to family and community. Jack’s laughter, generosity, and spirit will continue to inspire all who knew him. Though he is no longer with us, the lessons he shared and the love he gave remain a lasting gift.

Please join us for a memorial service on January 16th at St. Andrews Church in Newport Beach. In lieu of flowers, consider honoring Jack’s legacy by supporting Orange County Teen Challenge, a cause close to his heart. (https://www.teenchallenge.org/centers/orange-county/donate/).

May we carry forward Jack’s compassion, zest for life, and dedication to making the world a better place. In remembering him, we find comfort in the legacy he leaves behind and the many lives he touched.