Obituary of John Masline

John Edward Masline died peacefully in his residence on March 23, 2012. Born April 16th, 1928, in Canton, Ohio, to John and Marie Louise Masline (nee Paul), John was the fourth of six children. Upon graduation from high school, John enlisted in the Army where his tour of duty included service in Korea. Following his military service, he graduated with honors from Kent State University with a degree in Business Administration. Immediately following his graduation, he accepted a position with Ernst & Ernst in their Canton office as a staff accountant. In 1954 John married his sweetheart, Nancy Ann Kolp, at St. Paul's Church in North Canton, Ohio. The couple settled in North Canton for the next seven years where they were blessed with three children, Thomas John, Diane Louise and Scott Michael. In 1961, John transferred to the Ernst & Ernst office in Los Angeles and moved his young family to the West Coast. John and Nancy settled in Arcadia, California, where they welcomed their fourth child, Katherine Mary. He remained a resident of Arcadia for 25 years where he loved the California sunshine that allowed him to garden and barbecue. John had an insatiable curiosity to learn. He was an avid reader of history and politics and enjoyed spending hours on his computer. John loved to travel and visited every state in the United States as well as several cities throughout Asia and Europe. In 1967, John became a partner in the firm Ernst & Ernst and was in charge of overseeing several of the firm's major clients including Western Bancorporation, Los Angeles Times, and American Stores. In 1983, John and Nancy temporarily moved to Chicago, Illinois, where John was charged with overseeing the firm's relationship with Continental Illinois Bank. In 1986, John welcomed retirement after 35 years with Ernst & Young and settled in Montecito, California, with his wife, Nancy. It was in his retirement that John began his second career, serving on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Audit Committee for American Stores (subsequently merged with Albertsons) in Salt Lake City. John enjoyed his role on the board immensely and was most proud of his accomplishments during his tenure. John's professional affiliations included service as a Member of the Governing Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and President of the San Gabriel Chapter of the National Association of Management Accountants. John also served as Treasurer and Chairman of the Investment Committee for The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College, Director for the Scripps Home in Altadena, California, and as Director for the Mid-America Chapter of the Red Cross in Chicago, Illinois. John was preceded in death by his brother Donald; his sister Mary; his sister Pat; and his beloved wife, Nancy. He leaves behind his four children and seven grandchildren, John Anthony, Ann Kathleen, Andrew Thomas, Olivia Sera, Steven Edward, Rebecca Lee, and Mary Katherine. A memorial service for family and friends will be held at The Samarkand, 2550 Treasure Drive, Santa Barbara, California, on May 19th at 2:00 PM in the Mountain Room. The family requests any memorial contributions be made to The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara, 300 West Pueblo Street, Santa Barbara, California 92105.