Obituary of Anthony Ralph Clayton Kline
Our beloved Anthony (Tony) Kline passed away unexpectedly at home Sunday, January 21, 2024. Anthony was born February 20, 1988 in Williamsport, PA. He is survived by his loving partner of 10 years, Brent Stermer, his loving mother, Constance (Connie) Tarntino of Titusville, FL; father Thomas Kline and Stepmother Stephanie Kline of Saint Anthony, Idaho; siblings: Trace Tomko of Lakewood, CO, Tom Kline of Callihan, Florida, Joe Kline of Trenton, Florida, David Kline of Elmira, NY, Rye Tarntino of Houston, TX, McKenzie Workman of Morgan, Utah as well as many nieces and nephews.
After graduating from Thomas Edison HS, Anthony moved to NYC and later Miami, FL where he spent several years enjoying the sun and sand. He was diagnosed with cancer in his early 20's which brought him back to New York. His mom stood by his side as he battled his way through years of recovery, beating this disease twice by the age of 24. His mom was his rock and he loved her dearly. He very much looked forward to visiting her after she relocated to Florida, and she enjoyed his visits as they spent time at the beach and exploring the sites and communities in her area.
His closest sibling in age, Rye Tarntino had a way of bringing his spirit out. Together they were two wings of a social butterfly in the midst of Rye's San Fransisco crew. They delighted in food, dance, art, and laughter when visiting and exploring. In the early years after Rye graduated, Anthony would send pictures of outfit options and ask them for advice about new pieces to buy as he was developing his style. Anthony had a style all his own. He was a beautiful character whose light was hard to miss.
In his years following his cancer battles, he became quieter and more reserved, but was loved by SO many. He had a passion for many different things and loved to travel. He spent much of his time expressing himself through art, creating many pieces over the years, each one better than the last. He never limited himself to one particular style, but challenged himself to expand his technique in many genres. He could often be found around town volunteering for Community Arts of Elmira assisting with murals, whether priming a space for the artist, frog juicing a mural after its completion, and even a couple times helping with the mural itself. He not only loved creating art, he also loved to spend time researching and learning about artists, and collecting pieces here and there that were special to him.
He had a passion for Antiquing. He loved to take drives around NY and PA, on the back roads not the highways, so he could look for the eagles and hawks and just enjoy the beauty of nature, often times wanting to take the small dirt roads just to explore. Destinations were small towns with trinket shops, good wills, anyplace that might have a treasure or two. This passion led him to a job working for Re-purposing Estate Sales & Appraisals that ultimately opened up a whole new chapter of his life. He enjoyed learning the business, developing close relationships with his co-workers and quickly becoming the "jewelry guy" spending hours sorting pricing and getting the jewelry ready for sale.
Knowing all of this, it may come as a surprise to some that he was also the ultimate gear head, with a deep passion for cars. He loved spending time with his best friends Eddie Rodriguez and Katelyn VanSkiver working on cars, taking rides, the burnouts and the drifting, even watching them on YouTube. He was most recently looking forward to Eddie putting the engine back in the 240. We picture him smoking in a chair, listening for its roar.
Anthony had another love in his life, the pugs, Daisy and Gabby. He loved them both with Daisy holding a special place in his heart. He doted on them and spent every moment he could walking, grooming, playing, snuggling and giving treats to his "perfect angels". In the summer you could find them in the garden lounging together or wandering around him as he worked watering, planting, pruning or feeding the koi in the pond. The garden was pretty much his home in the summer. He spent countless hours alongside Brent working and enjoying their tranquil space.
We are grateful for the time we had together, and will miss him deeply, but we know he will continue to walk with us in the memories, stories, and artwork he left for us.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life for Anthony on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 12 o'clock noon at The Park Church Congregational Church of Christ 208 West Gray Street Elmira, NY. Walter J. Kent Funeral Home is assisting the Kline family.
