Scott Cline

Scott Thomas Cline, born July 24, 1958, died July 31, 2006 in an automobile accident.

Scott Cline had two lifelong passions – his family and the sea. He lived big, bigger than life, giving his all whether in work or play.

Born in Oak Harbor, Scott moved with his family to California as a young child. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1977, and learned the construction and painting business from his brother Rick. He worked on several million-dollar homes, including a project for Michael Douglas, and was proud of restoring beautiful mansions with fine custom work.

After a brief stint in the Navy Reserves, Scott moved back to Oak Harbor, where his parents had retired. His parents, Ray and Shirley Cline, were good friends with fellow yacht club members, Capt. Warren and Marjorie Erikson. The two mothers conspired to introduce Scott to the Erikson’s daughter, Helen. A romance promptly ensued, and Helen and Scott were married in 1986 at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, the first (and only to date) wedding in the downstairs area. Their son, John, is now 14 years old.

In 1998, Scott started Cline Painting, serving commercial and residential clients throughout Whidbey Island. His company painted Coupe’s Village, buildings at NAS Whidbey Island, custom homes, and is known for expertise with historic houses. His nephew, Richard Cline, worked with him, and the two often rode bicycles together to job sites.

Scott was best known locally for his love of sailing. He was Captain of the Oak Harbor Yacht Club Sailing Fleet. With his friend, Dave French, he founded the Oak Harbor Youth Sailing program, now in its third season, and introduced scores of teenagers to the joys of the sea. He sailed his boat, Deuces Wild, in Whidbey Island Race Week, one of the world’s top regattas.

His first saltwater love, however, was surfing. Growing up in Carpinteria, a California beach town, he would often leave for school early to catch a few waves. He described those years as “a nearly perfect childhood in a Leave-It-To-Beaver neighborhood, where everyone watched out for everyone else.”

Another lifelong interest for Scott was music – blues, jazz, rock, alternative, even country. He sang with his brother at his own wedding, and performed at open mike nights in Seattle in the 1980s. Recently, he began sharing musical interests with his son, discovering the band Green Day together. Father and son were unusually close, and the entire family devoted much of its time to sailing and other activities together.

Scott is survived by his wife Helen, son John, mother Shirley, brother John and sister-in-law Rita, all of Oak Harbor; brother Rick and sister-in-law Leanna of California; and many nieces and nephews. He considered many of his long-term friends as family, too.

A private memorial service will be held Saturday, August 5 on the water, followed by a pot-luck at the Yacht Club that is open to everyone. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Oak Harbor Youth Sailing, www.ohyouthsailing.org.