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Former Pa. Lt. Gov. Ernest Kline is dead at 79
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Candidate
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| Contributor | Scott³ |
| Last Edited | Scott³ May 14, 2009 03:51pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Philadelphia Inquirer |
| News Date | Thursday, May 14, 2009 09:50:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | AP
"Former Lt. Gov. Ernest P. Kline, a one-time radio reporter who rose quickly through the ranks of the politicians he once covered to Pennsylvania's second-highest post, died Wednesday night.
Kline, who lived in Lebanon County after growing up outside Pittsburgh, died at Hershey Medical Center of heart failure, family members said. He was 79.
"He fought through not having the pedigree that one would expect of a candidate," his daughter, Monica Kline, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "What made my father successful was a resilience of being raised in a hardworking area. He had a work ethic about him that, if you studied hard and you worked, you would be rewarded."
Kline, a Democrat, served eight years as lieutenant governor, from 1971-79, under Gov. Milton Shapp. While in office, he helped form commissions to advance the causes of women and senior citizens, his daughter said.
He was just 35 when he was elected in 1964 to represent Beaver and Lawrence counties in the state Senate. He served six years there, including a stint as the minority leader, before he became lieutenant governor.
Kline got the idea to run for office while covering city council meetings in Beaver Falls for WBVP-AM.
"He came home one night and said, 'Shoot, I could do that,'" his daughter said.
He won election to the Beaver Falls council in 1955.
Gov. Ed Rendell called Kline a true son of Pennsylvania and a consummate public servant, volunteering at charities even after he left public office.
"Ernie was dedicated to making Pennsylvania a better place for everyone," Rendell said in a statement.
Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow, D-Lackawanna, said Thursday that Kline left a lasting imprint on Pennsylvania that included bettering the lives of people in the working-class communities in which Kline grew up." |
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