FORT EDWARD – William “Bill” Earl Ernst, 77, of Fort Edward,
passed away unexpectedly on June 14, 2021 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany,
due to complications from heart (bypass) surgery.
Born October 26, 1943 in Glens Falls, he was the son of the
late William Stanton and Helen (Gage) Ernst.
Bill attended Glens Falls High School and graduated in 1961.
He then received his associate degree from SUNY Canton in accounting. While
attending Canton, Bill was on the baseball team and was a part of Alpha Theta
Gamma fraternity. He enjoyed singing in his fraternity’s quartet.
Bill met Ellen Toole at a local bowling league, while
wearing his legendary red socks. Ellen stated to her friend that night: “I am
going to marry that man one day”. Bill always told Ellen: “I never met anybody
in my life that made me laugh and enjoy my life more than you.” On October 9th,
1965, Bill married Ellen M. Toole at St. Mary’s Church in Hudson Falls, New
York. Their immediate love for one another was the legacy that they have passed
down to their children and grandchildren.
Bill began his career at Glens Falls Insurance Company and
GE as a computer operator. He then went on to Glens Falls Continental as an underwriter.
Bill continued his career as a sales representative for Goldstein Subaru in
Albany, until his retirement. During his
retirement, Bill worked for the Washington County Board of Elections and census
taking.
Bill enjoyed the simple things in life. He would wake up
before Ellen to make her a cup of coffee in bed. Every evening, the two of them
could be seen sitting on the front porch drinking a Manhattan while watching
the sunset. The neighbors stated that Bill had the best lawn in the
neighborhood. He took pride taking care of the yard and his gardens. Bill and
Ellen were always seen on the dance floor performing jitter bug, country line
dancing and ballroom dancing. They enjoyed attending several local events such
as the Adirondack Balloon Festival, country music festivals, concerts and
Proctor’s theater shows. Often, Bill would be seen at the local Talk of the
Town and Morgan and Company with his lifetime friends. He was a devoted husband
and genuine father figure to many. He was his grandchildren’s biggest fan and
attended all their sporting events including baseball, hockey, volleyball,
soccer, lacrosse, golf, and dance. He additionally took part in his own hobbies
of interest, such as avidly reading the local newspaper, golfing, playing pool
and going bowling. Bill enjoyed traveling to Schroon River to go camping with
his family and friends in the summer. Later in life, he enjoyed annual trips to
Maine and became an avid international traveler, alongside his wife, for 20
years.
Besides his parents, Bill was predeceased by his mother,
Helen (Gage) Ernst of Glens Falls; father, William “Stan” Ernst of Glens Falls;
and sister, Nancy Gill of Auburn.
Survivors include his beloved wife of 56 years, Ellen (Toole)
Ernst; his two children, son, Bruce (Karen) Ernst of Clifton Park and daughter,
Stacey Patalino of Skaneateles; his siblings; sister, Beverly Passineau,
brother, Robert (Carol) Ernst and sister, Carolyn (Jim) Flynn; as well as his
four grandchildren, Evan and Lena Ernst, and Jacob and Jessica Patalino.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date, to be
announced.
Memorial donations in memory of Bill may be made to St. Jude
Children’s Hospital, 2 Pine West Plaza #202, Albany, NY 12205 or Fort Edward
Rescue Squad, 75 Schuyler St, Fort Edward, NY 12828.
