MIDDLEBURY — Terry Harold Kline, 85, was born May 12, 1937, in Wayland, N.Y., to parents William C. Kline and Hazel Carney Kline. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Nov. 22, 2022, in Middlebury, Vt. He was predeceased by his older brother Richard Carney of Dansville, N.Y.
Terry grew up in Dansville, in western N.Y., where he met his wife, Dottie. He graduated from Dansville High School in 1955. Terry was a very successful athlete, captain of the football and basketball teams, a two-year county singles tennis champion and senior class president. Terry spent four years in the U.S. Air Force after high school. He earned his Associate degree at Alfred Ag Tech and bachelor’s degree at Alfred University after many years of night school while working full-time. He spent most of his career (35 years) in banking.
In 1978, Terry accepted a job as President of First Brandon National Bank and moved the family from western New York to Brandon, Vt. He retired from the Brandon Bank in 1997 and spent most of his retirement doing independent trust and estate work for the Vermont state and county court systems and for numerous friends and acquaintances.
In 2015 Terry and Dottie moved from their 18th-century home on Park Street in Brandon to EastView at Middlebury. Terry loved the EastView community and served on the board’s finance committee for several years. He leaves many close friends at EastView including many furry friends who were also friends of his longtime favorite four-legged companion, Henri, his French bulldog (AKA the “Mayor of EastView”). Henri left this world on Feb. 14, 2022, and is greatly missed by many.
Terry is survived by his wife, Dottie Gray Kline. They were married for 63 years (married on Valentine’s Day 1959); children Mark R. Kline of Rochester, N.H., Molly K. Merkert (Fred) of Brandon, Vt., and Doug Kline (Annette) of Darien, Conn.; grandchildren Douglas Merkert (Karen) of Sudbury, Emily Merkert Pearl of Leicester, Ben Merkert (Aimee) of Hinesburg, Gray Kline of New York City, Camilla Kline of Atlanta, Ga.; Addison Kline of St. Louis, Mo., and Thea Kline of Darien, Conn. He also leaves one great-grandchild, Ronan Merkert of Hinesburg.
Per Terry’s wishes there will be no formal service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Terry’s memory to any of the following organizations that were near and dear to his heart:
EastView at Middlebury in honor of Terry Kline to benefit future residents of this non-profit senior living and long-term care community. C/o Connie Leach, Executive Director, Eastview at Middlebury, 100 Eastview Terrace, Middlebury VT 05753, (802) 989-7500, or cleach@eastviewmiddlebury.com.Addison County Home Health and Hospice: https://www.achhh.org/, or Homeward Bound – Addison County’s Humane Society: https://www.homewardboundanimals.org/.
Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home of Brandon is assisting the family.
