Clyde Vernon Hartline Jr.'s Obituary
C. Vernon Hartline, Jr., a long time-time Dallas lawyer, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, July 13, 2020 at the age of 75. Vernon was born November 5, 1944 in Dallas, Texas to Clyde Vernon Hartline and Betty Angel Hartline. After graduating from Plano Senior High School in 1963, he attended Baylor University and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1968. Vernon married Lynne Thompson on September 3, 1966. During his first year of law school at Baylor Law, Vernon was drafted and served in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant in Vietnam. After being injured in combat in early 1971, he was medevaced to the Air Force Military Hospital in Okinawa, Japan, where he recuperated for several months. He was discharged and came back to Texas in April of 1971, and just days after arriving home, he returned to Baylor Law to finish his law degree. During law school he was a member of the Order of the Barristers. After Vernon was graduated from Baylor Law in 1973, he joined Gardere, Porter & DeHay, where he began his career as a trial lawyer. After a merger in 1979, Vernon and several of his colleagues formed DeHay & Blanchard. Vernon continued his career as a trial lawyer with Strasburger & Price beginning in 1984. In 1994, he and several colleagues in the firm’s product liability group decided to form their own firm, Hartline, Dacus, Dreyer, & Kern, L.L.P., to provide services to their clients more efficiently and effectively. At the prior firm they had been told, “Big ships turn slowly,” so Vernon and his colleagues vowed be nimble, able to adjust their sails to meet their clients’ needs while providing the highest quality legal services. It was that commitment that carried Vernon through to his last day with his colleagues at Hartline Barger, LLP, on July 13, 2020.
Vernon loved practicing law and being in the courtroom. His distinguished career as a product liability defense lawyer was highlighted by successes in the automotive and tire industry, which led to the firm’s representation of several major automotive and tire manufacturers on a regional and national basis. He also selflessly trained young lawyers, many of which started their careers at Hartline Barger LLP and have become his partners. He genuinely cared about the firm and its people, and he took time each day to reach out to his partners, colleagues, and staff.
Vernon and Lynne were members of Park Cities Baptist Church, where they spent 27 years working on Sunday mornings in the church nursery. They loved to travel and explore the world; from the Red Sea to the Caribbean, Vernon and Lynne traveled the world pursuing their passion for scuba diving,
and he captured his underwater explorations with high-definition video cameras. Their globetrotting hobby – along with frequent business trips – made him an expert packer. “I can live out of a roller bag for a week because my wife and daughter needed my luggage allowance ”, he said. Vernon also loved cooking and taking care of his family and friends.
Vernon served as President of the Baylor Law Alumni Association from 1993-1994, and was frequently designated a “Best Lawyer,” “Lawyer of the Year,” and “Texas Super Lawyer” during his career. He also received the Bridgestone Firestone General Counsel Award. Among Vernon’s many honors and awards are the National Defense Service Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal; the Vietnam Campaign Medal; and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Vernon was preceded in death by his parents Clyde and Betty Hartline and his brother Douglas Hartline. He is survived by his beloved wife, Lynne, of 53 years, who was the love of his life; son Clyde Vernon Hartline, III of Portland, Oregon; daughter Nikki Lynne Braun and husband John of Midland, Texas; precious grandchildren Daphne, Conrad, Carlyle and Sebastian Hartline; and nieces Jehri Lyn Crowe of Birmingham, Alabama; Amy Riggs Newell of Tallahassee, Florida; and Meredith Mathis of Temple, Texas, and their families.
The family thanks Vernon’s oncologist, Dr. Brian Berryman, M.D., and his internist, Dr. Jennifer Wilkinson, M.D., and the staff of Texas Oncology at Baylor Medical Center for their guidance and care over the last few years. Vernon lived and died fighting for the causes and people he loved, and they helped Vernon stay in the fight longer than expected. Vernon was a fierce defender of his family and friends, and you always knew where you stood with him.
In lieu of flowers, Vernon would want to be remembered with donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (lls.org), Wounded Warrior Family Support (wwfs.org); and the Salvation Army (salvationarmyusa.org). Donations may also be made to the endowed scholarship in Vernon’s name at Baylor Law, established by Hartline Barger LLP to honor their beloved partner.
A celebration of Vernon’s life will be held Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 2 p.m. at Restland Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas. Due to local restrictions on
public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, those wishing to participate may live-stream the service by connecting through http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/33489.
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