Stanley Talmadge Cline

Stanley Talmadge Cline passed away peacefully on August 14, 2018 after courageously fighting cancer for the last several years. Stan was born on April 7, 1930 in Mount Clinton (Rockingham County), Virginia, the sixth of ten children of Dewitt and Nora Showalter Cline. At the age of nine, Stan’s father passed away, leaving his mother and ten children to maintain the family farm. Stan had many stories from his humble upbringing that he liked to share. Stan excelled in baseball and basketball at Mount Clinton High School. He played two years in the Rockingham County Baseball League before playing for the Harrisonburg Turks of the Valley Baseball League from 1950 to 1954. It was during this time that Stan met his future wife, Martha Byrd of Dayton, Virginia. Stan and Martha married in 1956. Stan worked numerous jobs after high school, including carpenter and school bus driver, before going to work for Esso (later known as Exxon) in 1955. While working for Esso, Stan was drafted into the U.S. Navy in March 1956 and spent twenty months in the Atlantic Fleet aboard the USS Albany. Stan worked for Exxon for 31 years as a marketing representative, starting in Harrisonburg, followed by Roanoke, Harrisonburg again, and finally in Lynchburg, retiring from full-time employment in 1986. Stan won numerous national sales awards while with Exxon. He continued employment part-time with Candler Oil Company in Lynchburg for many years. He remained a dedicated company man throughout retirement. Stan was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He especially enjoyed family gatherings for birthdays and holidays. Stan was an avid tennis player for most of his adult life, playing at Oakwood Country Club. When not playing tennis, Stan loved watching baseball and basketball. In retirement, Stan became interested in landscaping and loved spending time working in his yard. Stan was a member of the United Methodist Church, serving at times as a Sunday School Teacher. He also was a member of the Lions Clubs International. In addition to his parents, Stan was preceded in death by eight of his nine siblings: brothers Marion, Bill, Richard, Amos, and Andy, and sisters Fannie Jane Myers, Dale Shiflet, and Margaret Ritchie. Stan is survived by his wife, Martha Byrd Cline; 3 children: Michael B. Cline and wife Claire of Crozet, Barbara Cline Kelly and husband Harold of Richmond, and Deborah Cline Ballagh and husband Michael of Rustburg; 4 grandchildren: Holly Cline and husband Benjamin of Seattle, Washington; Benjamin Bergin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Michael and Luke Ballagh of Rustburg; one great grandchild: Josephine Cline of Seattle, Washington; and one brother: Frank Cline and wife Anna Lee of Harrisonburg. The funeral will be held at 2:30pm on Saturday, August 18, 2018 at Lindsey Funeral Home, 473 South Main Street in Harrisonburg. The family will receive friends from 1:30 pm until 2:30pm prior to the funeral. Burial will follow at Dayton Cemetery, Dayton Virginia. In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the annual prom for special needs teens and adults, Night to Shine, which Stan’s grandson attends. Make checks payable to Journey Ministries and mail to ℅ Debbie Cline Ballagh, 213 Watkins Farm Rd, Rustburg, VA 24588. With gratitude, the family thanks the staff at Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg, especially the nursing team on the 6th floor for their care and support. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lindseyharrisonburg.com