Dr. Jerre H. Cline

Jerre Henkel Cline, an accomplished, dedicated educator and long-time Terre Haute resident, died on January 19th at Union Hospital. Jerre was born on December 26, 1929 at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana, the 3rd and youngest child of Arthur Rogers Cline and Florence Louise Cline. His brother, Arthur R Cline, Jr., and his sister, Jean Louise Sorensen preceded him in death.

During World War II, Jerre and his mother moved to Terre Haute while his father returned to service with the U.S Army Air Forces. He graduated from Wiley High School in 1947.

After completing his military service as a Staff Sergeant and Military Historian with the Military Air Transport Service in Europe and the Middle East (1950-1954), Jerre returned to Terre Haute to complete his B.S. degree at ISU. He met his wife Alexandra (Sandy) while a graduate student at Northwestern University. They were married in 1958.

Jerre taught in the Chicago Public Schools on the “Gold Coast” and the South Side, studied at DePaul University, and became personnel director of Kemper Insurance’s Southern Division office in Atlanta, Georgia,1965-1969. Moving his family to Terre Haute in 1969, Jerre completed his master’s degree at ISU in 1972. In the 1970s, he was assistant principal of the Senior High School at Marshall, Illinois, principal of the Marshall Junior High School, and then principal of Schulte High School in Terre Haute. In 1977, Jerre earned his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from ISU. He retired in 1985.

Jerre was a good listener and a great storyteller. Above all he loved his wife and family and was a good friend who made the people he encountered always feel welcomed. Jerre was an active member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, and for many years, a volunteer counselor at the Terre Haute Federal Penitentiary. A gifted mentor, Jerre often was able to help people in need to better understand the world, so that they could position themselves to make good life choices.

On the lighter side, Jerre was an avid reader, an excellent card player, jovial, and the guy you wanted on your trivia team. After retiring, Jerre authored and published several novels.

Jerre is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Alexandra, and their children, Jerome Cline, Indianapolis; Alexandra Hutson (Joseph), Terre Haute; Crispin Melloh (Christopher), North Fort Myers, Florida; Michael B. Cline (Kimberly), Indianapolis; and Bernadette Ewen (Jeffrey), Terre Haute. Also, the couple’s grandchildren: Timothy Cline, Daniel Cline, & Katherine Shull; Katherine Battisti, Elizabeth Mordensky, Stephanie Hutson, & Joseph Hutson; Abraham Melloh & Moses Melloh; Lesley Cline, Elijah Cline & Helen Cline; Crispin Ewen & Sophia Ewen. Great-grandchildren: Isaac & Charles Cline; Burke, Bennett, & Briar Shull; Paul & Peter Battisti; and Autumn Mordensky.

Visitation will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 23, 2026, at Callahan & Hughes Funeral Home with a Rosary service taking place at 7:15 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at St. Joseph University Parish. Jerre will be laid to rest privately in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, with military honors at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Indiana State University Foundation, St. Joseph University Parish, Catholic Charities, or the charity of your choice.