Etta Zagoria Kline

Etta Zagoria Kline, 99, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2025 at Catered Living in Ocean Pines, Maryland. A small graveside service will be held by her family on Friday, July 25 at 12:00 noon at Judean Memorial Gardens, in Olney, Maryland, where she will be buried beside her late husband, Ira Kline. Anyone who knew Etta is welcome.

Etta Kline, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, was born in 1926 in Somerville, New Jersey, the third child and beloved daughter of Nathan and Rebecca Zagoria. She grew up in Somerville and then attended college at NYU. She married her true love from high school, Ira Kline, on August 12, 1945, after he served in World War II. They moved to Washington, D.C., where their daughter, Sheryl, and son, Jeffrey, were born. They both worked while Ira finished his undergraduate degree at American University and his graduate work at George Washington University. Later, they moved to Langley Park, Maryland, and to Bethesda, where Ira did cancer research at Microbiological Associates and later at the National Institutes of Health. Etta also held administrative roles at NIH, in addition to her interior decorating business. Ira and Etta were lifelong members of Beth El Synagogue in Bethesda, Maryland, and observing the Jewish holidays with family and friends was one of their great joys in life.

Family was everything to Etta, and she moved her parents to the Hebrew Home in Bethesda and cared for them lovingly through their later years.

The Kline family loved beach vacations, and they spent many happy summer weeks on Great Pond on Cape Cod, Massachusetts as well as in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Over the years, Etta accompanied Ira on trips to worldwide destinations, including Russia, Israel, Turkey, and Japan. Etta had special affection for cats, and some of her favorite feline companions were Shana, Rusty, Little One, Zack, and Leo. Etta was also an aficionado of banana splits from Giffords.

Ten years after Ira passed away, Etta moved from Bethesda to Leisure World in Silver Spring and enjoyed many years of independence there. She spent winters in Delray Beach, Florida near her brother Sam and his wife Sylvia and enjoyed hosting her children and their families. She played mahjong with longtime friends. She took granddaughters Rachel and Michele to Israel and, for her 80th and 85th birthdays, took the entire extended family on fabulous Caribbean cruises. For her 90th birthday, dozens of family members and friends celebrated at a party at Leisure World. She had a dynamic personality, remained sharp as a tack until her late 90s, and fully enjoyed life.

She is survived by her daughter, Sheryl Pearson and her husband Rick, of Selbyville, Delaware, and her son Jeffrey Kline and his wife Lisa, of Davidson, North Carolina. She played a pivotal role in the lives of her four granddaughters, Rachel and Michele Pearson, Caitlin Kline Lindsey (Josh) and Kelsey Kline Mard (Seph), who adored her and affectionately called her “Gommy.”

The family extends gratitude to her caretaker Vera and to the staff of Catered Living for their devoted care of Etta.

Donations in remembrance of Etta can be made to the Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County or Jewish Social Services.