Lawrence Kline , 78, passed away Tuesday evening, March 1, 2016 at Florida Hospital-Flagler in Palm Coast, following progressive health challenges.

Born in Paterson, New Jersey on May 17, 1937, "Rocky," as he was loving called by family and friends, attended Eastside High School before enrolling in the Army Reserves. He worked for the Department of Public Works in Englewood, New Jersey and retired as a manger of operations after 38 years of service. He was also a longtime member of Varick Memorial AME Zion Church in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Anyone who knew him well knows his hobbies were more like second nature to him: fishing, hunting, cooking and poker-playing. He was a master griller who was a true outdoorsman. Whenever there was no antiseptic in sight, Rocky always had the "natural" cure for someone's ailment, all of which he learned during his days in the military.

Rocky loved to spend time with is family and often took family vacations yearly because he believed leisure was the best reward for hard work. After years of being New Jersey residents, in May of 1997, he and his wife became full time Pennsylvania residents as they moved to the Pocono mountains. He found the atmosphere and environment conducive for full time fishing and hunting.

After 18 years of living in the mountains, Rocky and his wife moved to sunny Florida in September of 2015. He was always willing to help friends and family with anything they needed, and because of that he will be greatly missed by everyone that knew him.

He is survived by his loving wife of 33 years, Rose Anne Kline, his doting daughters Latoyia K. Bailey of Pennsylvania and Olivia K. Bailey of Maryland, and his sons from a previous marriage, Howard "Michael" Kline and Andrew Kline; his sisters Evelyn Kline and Jean Parker, both of New Jersey and Jacqueline Grier (Joseph Grier) of Illinois; two grandchildren, Vanessa Kline and Andrew Kline, and an adopted granddaughter Callie Rozier, and a host of sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Howard and Dorothy Kline, his brothers Sterling Kline, John Kline and Eugene Kline and his sisters Betty Clemente and Mildred Kline.