Scott Cline

John Scott Cline was born October 13, 1954, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the son of Bo & Mary Cline and lived in Chattanooga all his life. He attended Chattanooga City High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. His career included time building sailboats, varying sales positions and in 2000 he became a Real Estate Appraiser. He built his own Appraisal company and retired from the business in the spring of 2025.

Scotty was an avid sailor and a member of Privateer Yacht Club (PYC) all his adult life, and prior to that was part of the sailing club as the son of long-time member Bo Cline. You could say he grew up sailing and it was in his blood. He loved sailing and sharing his vast knowledge with newcomers to the sport. He was a fierce competitor and traveled the U.S. participating in regattas where he skippered his Snipe, a 15.5-foot 2 person dingy, and sailed as crew on larger boats. He served on the Board of Directors of PYC several times, once as Commodore. He could be found helping people rig their boats for club racing, taking new sailors out on the water to help them hone their skills, helping to maintain the club grounds, enjoying the club socials and sailing – always sailing. He was passionate about the sport and its biggest advocate.

The other love of Scotty’s life was his family. He married Cindy Hackett in 1998 and they sailed together frequently. He was a devout family man and the time he spent with family was the most precious to him. There were many trips to regattas and his family’s lake house. He was so incredibly proud of his 2 daughters, and his 2 grandchildren filled his life with joy. His face always lit up when speaking of them.

Scotty always had a story or a joke to tell and left the recipients of those stories & jokes laughing. He could always be found with a smile on his face and a beer in his hand.

Scott died June 22nd after fighting cancer and the resulting complications of that treatment. His family had been with him throughout that day and before his passing he was smiling and joking.

Scott is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Elizabeth Cline, and father Earl ‘Bo’ Cline. Scott is survived by his daughters Rachel Cline of Chattanooga, TN and Megan Cline of Chattanooga, TN; his ex-wife Cindy Cline of Chattanooga, TN; his grandchildren Nora and Brooks Cole, and his sister Terry Jacob (Mike) of Virgina and nieces & nephews.

Fair Winds Scotty.

Visitation will be Sunday, June 28th, 2-6 PM at East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, 404 South Moore Road, East Ridge, Tennessee with a rosary service at 6 PM. The Funeral Mass will be held at 11 AM, Monday, June 29th, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church with Father Mike Nolan officiating. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 1 Mount Olivet Drive, East Ridge, Tennessee.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Privateer Yacht Club following the burial.