Riley Kenneth Kline

Riley Ken Kline was born on a farm in Pennsylvania on August 31, 1921. Being the only boy in a family with four sisters he had to work hard to survive the depression. In 1943 he joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to the South Pacific where he was lucky to escape several close calls. After the war he married Margaret Johnston whom he had met in Denver during training.

They lived in Pennsylvania for a year until her health demanded a dryer climate. They moved to China Lake, California in 1947 where she eventually gave birth to two sons, Randy, and Jimmy, and a daughter Lana. Unfortunately his wife died in childbirth leaving three children in diapers. Although many stepped up offering to take the babies Ken vowed to keep the family together. He got the help he needed when his oldest sister Ruth volunteered to move out west and help him raise the children.

He was forced to quit the Nazarene college and entered the apprentice program on the naval base in China Lake where he excelled as a model maker machinist for 25 years.

He pledged to put all of his children through college and to do that he built several rental units in Ridgecrest which he still owns.

His later adult years found him moving to the LA area finally settling in Leisure World.

Hobbies included square dancing, skiing, traveling, and singing. His favorite was barbershop quartet singing. He belonged to the Barbershop Harmony Society for 62 years. This hobby was a source of countless close friends who enjoyed his cheerful nature. He held the record for consecutive attendance at the International Quartet Conventions at 55 and he currently is the president of the barbershop quartet chapter at Leisure World.

After 92 years of living a full life he passed away of natural causes right after attending the barbershop convention in Las Vegas.

Ken is survived by his sister, Mildred Boyer, two sons Randy and Jimmy Kline, and one daughter Lana Smith. His two grandchildren are Jason Kline and Talia DiManno. He has one great grand daughter Kaia Kline and two more are on the way.

Arrangements under the direction of Halverson, Stone & Myers Mortuary, Torrance, CA.