Douglas Coleman Kline

West Point, 1965

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Step Tyner on April 18, 2015:

If I were not too sad for anger, I would rage to the heavens like a provincial playing Lear over Doug Kline's passing. I think I can say that I knew him well. As roommates in B-1, we shared the special PTSD that especially afflicted survivors of plebe year in D-1. Four days after graduation, I was best man when he and his lovely Diane were wed. Then, after only occasional encounters for many years, I had the privilege of working for him on weighty matters he understood perfectly well and I perceived but dimly. A goat as far as his WP transcript is concerned, Doug achieved an enviable reputation as both an intellectual and a manager of often-temperamental scientists and engineers, in rarified venues ranging from los Alamos Lab to DARPA, but especially while working in the area of missile defense at high government levels and as a contractor and consultant. A thinker, a devoted husband, a steadfast and loyal friend, and -- yes -- a bon vivant, Doug was gifted with a bonhomie that transcended the facile manipulation often connoted by the word "charm." He smiled broadly when he saw you because he was happy to be seeing you. He offered moral and other support to those in need because he genuinely wanted them to find relief. Doug was always willing to extend himself for others, and almost unconsciously so, often seeming bemused by others' observations that he had perhaps gone farther than mere duty would prescribe. And, God bless him, he was one of the most colorful characters in our class! I do not know how many years remain to me, but I do know that every day for the rest of my life I will take strength and comfort in my many happy memories of Doug, from prepping for calls with Ranger Dan Embree to arguing over Trivial Pursuit answers with him while Diane attempted to arbitrate. I am devastated that he is gone.

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