Myron C. Cline

Myron C. Cline was born November 8, 1934, in Monroe County, Ohio, to George and Vivian Cline. He died on September 17, 2021, at Blanchard Valley Hospital due to complications of congestive heart failure. He married Mary Yolanda Geldmacher on July 7, 1956, and she survives. Also surviving are son Gregory (Karen) Cline of Findlay, OH; daughter Julia (Arjen) Zeeuw of Burr Hill, VA; granddaughters Diane (Michael) Hastings of Salem, MA; Emily Cline (Anna Hetzel) of Columbus, OH; Melanie Justis (Jarid Lewis) of Colonial Beach, VA; great-granddaughter, Anora Hastings of Salem, MA; and brother-in-law Glenn Geldmacher of Clyde, OH. His grandson, David Justis of VA, preceded him in death.He had a good run. Myron was a celebrated coach, counselor, and educator. He earned his undergraduate and master's degrees from The Ohio State University and worked within the Ohio secondary education system. Throughout his career, he worked in Chandlersville, Frazeysburg, Ada, and settled at Lakota High School (Kansas, OH) for the majority of his career. Myron found his passion in sports as a youth listening to the Cincinnati "Redlegs" and The Ohio State Buckeyes on the family radio. This passion for sports blossomed throughout his life, first as an avid fan, then as an athlete, and later as a celebrated and well-loved coach of basketball, track, and cross country.As a coach, he led winning teams to multiple state championship titles. Myron was inducted into the Ohio Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame and was recognized in Sports Illustrated for his success. He promoted the development of cross country in the school systems, championed the first female cross country team at Lakota High School, founded the Lakota cross country invitational (now named the Myron Cline Invitational), and mentored and collaborated with numerous coaches in other school systems.In retirement, Myron continued to mentor and support local athletic programs including the Liberty Benton Track & Field program and the University of Findlay Oilers Men's Basketball Team. He was a passionate coach, helping people climb "agony hill", whether it was in a race or in their life. He showed up, motivated, and believed in you wholeheartedly. He had a gift for bringing out the best in every person he encountered.Myron was an avid birder, hiker, naturalist, political activist, writer, and an exceptional storyteller. His family holds treasured memories of his calming cadence as he wove them directly into the story, bringing them on a fantastical adventure. He told stories on family camping trips, at bedtime, and on long road trips driving through the hills on the way to a beloved national park.His family thanks the many staff at Blanchard Valley Hospital who compassionately and professionally cared for him. And a special thanks to Dr. Mark Fox who cared for Myron as a loving friend, advocate, and professional physician.Memorials may be made to the Lakota Cross Country Memorial Scholarship Fund with a check payable to Lakota Athletic Boosters, with "Cross Country Scholarship" in the memo line. Mail to Lakota Cross Country Memorial Scholarship, Attn: Terry Tahy, 2057 Co. Rd. 41, Fremont, OH 43430.Services will be private. A celebration of Myron's life will be held at a later date. To receive information about the celebration of life, please email CoachClineCelebration@gmail.com or call 540-632-1344. To share memories about Myron online, please visit Myron's tribute wall at www.kirkpatrickbehnke.com. His memory lives on in each of us as we take the baton from him and run our best race.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Myron C. Cline, please visit our Tree Store.