Carl Cline

Carl Cline, of Danville, died July 14. He was 88.

Cline was born Nov. 25, 1928 to Carl and Edythe Cline in Detroit, Michigan. After high school graduation, his family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly thereafter, where he served active duty for two years. He then entered Georgia Institute of Technology where he received a bachelor’s in ceramic engineering in 1953. Upon graduation, he took his first job with Union Carbide in Niagara Falls, New York. It was there that he met his bride to be, Karen Gormley, and they married in 1954. Cline continued his post-graduate studies and received a master’s from Niagara University. Soon after, Cline and his wife moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked for Battelle Memorial Institute while attending Ohio State University's doctorate program in material sciences.
Employment opportunities brought them back to Niagara Falls where he went to work for Carborundum. In 1956, he was recruited by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where he eventually spent 32 years in the Chemistry and Physics Departments. He continued his doctorate studies at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, while living in Clayton, California. In 1972, he was invited to join Allied Chemical in Morristown, New Jersey as a director of material sciences where his group received an industrial research 100 award. He returned two years later to LLNL, moving the family to Walnut Creek, California. He retired from the LLNL in 1991.

Shortly after retirement from the Lab, he was invited to join a U.S. group of scientists who traveled the globe, visiting universities and laboratories to view related work of other scientists. Cline and his wife were enthralled with each new destination and the wonderful people and interesting cultures they were able to visit.
During his career, Cline was issued more than 30 patents and published numerous papers related to the use of new materials in defense-related products.

Cline is survived by his wife, Karen; sister, Betty Frieden; daughters, Cathy (Tom) Rebhan and Cheryl (Ron) Schwab and son, Michael (Diana) Cline. Cline was preceded in death by his son, Steven. A mass will be held at St. Isidore's Church in Danville, California on Friday, July 28 at 10:30 a.m. with a reception immediately following the mass.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Carl Cline's name to the Cancer Support Community of the SF Bay Area, 3276 McNutt Ave., Walnut Creek, California 94597.