María Teresa Cline-Hirsch

She was preceded in death by husbands, James Leroy Cline in 1990 and Harry Duane Hirsch in 2021. Tere is survived by daughters, Carla T. White and husband Kevin of Boerne, Texas and Elizabeth Cline-Rew and wife Charlotte of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Kimberlee Murphy and husband, Briian; Matt White; great-granddaughter Caroline; as well as numerous extended family members and a lifetime of friends.

A memorial service is being planned for May 6, 2023. The time and location will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to the charity of your choice.

Tere was a lifelong educator with a passion for teaching and learning. She earned her master’s degree from Southern Methodist University (SMU). She taught Spanish in the Plano Independent School District (PISD) for 37 years. She continued teaching Conversational Spanish at SMU upon retirement from PISD. Her joy of teaching reached many over the years, as she deeply cared about the success of each student.

Tere grew up in Eagle Pass, Texas, where she graduated from high school at age 16. She was a sophisticated young lady who also enjoyed playing basketball in school. She met James L. Cline (Jim) from Troy, Illinois, at her brother’s wedding. Jim fell in love with Tere at first sight. The two went on one date and soon married.

Tere traveled much of Europe and the United States upon marrying Jim, who would become a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. The two were stationed in Germany early in their marriage, where they took advantage of the opportunity to travel and see the sights of Europe. These were formative years as Tere not only learned to speak several languages, but also learned how to iron, cook, and pack up to move an in instant as military life requires.

Upon retirement from the military, the Cline family moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma, and eventually settled in Plano, Texas. Tere began taking college courses, reared two girls, cared for her elderly mother, and began her distinguished teaching career during this time. She taught bookkeeping courses early in her career but was ecstatic when she landed the job as the Spanish teacher at Plano High School in 1973. She worked tirelessly to improve her craft over the years and was recognized for her efforts, earning awards and serving as the Team Lead of the Foreign Language Department for several years.

Tere was a devoted wife to Jim when his health began to suffer due to the physical and emotional trauma of having served his country in Vietnam. She used her boundless energy to care for her husband until his passing. She continued on as the rock of her family, gently pushing each to continue their education and careers.

Tere remained active upon retirement from PISD. She purchased a sportscar, traveled, took informal classes, continued teaching, spoiled her grandchildren, and enjoyed painting. She loved her joyrides to and from work in her sky-blue BMW Z3, which had a small spot of cerulean blue paint on the floorboard from hauling her oil paints and canvas. She was a gifted landscape artist. She vividly captured the fog and whitecaps of the waves surrounding the Golden Gate bridge, as well as the sweet bluebonnets of the Texas hill country. She returned to Europe several times to show her daughters all the sights she had loved in her youth. She traveled to Mexico with her Granddaughter to show her Chichen Itza. She knew her grandson loves animals, and he treasured the cheetah blanket she gave him as a child.

Tere was known to have said that she did not like dogs, however, her actions spoke louder than words. She once offered to babysit her granddaughter’s dachshund, Leroy, but then never allowed him to leave. She would buy Leroy a cheeseburger every Friday and the two were often seen zipping around town in her Z3.

Duane Hirsch, an acquaintance, and widower, coaxed Tere to learn to square dance with him. The two fell in love and Tere eventually married Duane at age 80. They drove off to their honeymoon in the Z3. The two enjoyed watching Texas Rangers baseball, catching roly-polies with their great-granddaughter, and continued dancing for several years until illness separated them.

Her biggest love of all was spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-granddaughter. She was a brilliant star in all of our lives.