| Graduation Year | Class of 1963 |
| Date of Passing | Jul 18, 2017 |
| About | Ernie came into the family in the late summer of 1945, I entered just before Christmas of 1946. Ernie was born in Ohio and I was born in California. We were, like our oldest brother, Bucky, Marine BRATS. Although Dad left the Corps in 1951, it was never far from his thoughts. We learned posture, responsibility, dependability, respect and patriotism in our household. We had a great Mom! She was so resourceful in meeting the needs of our family. Ernie learned to read just like I did, sitting next to Mom after supper. Two more brothers would be born, Larry in 1948 and Mike in 1950. Little League was Ernie's great game in his journey. Left handed, incredibly strong, tall and lanky, he would regularly strike out 18 batters with an incredibly fast pitch. His pitching matured and his success in high school followed. Our summers were defined by mowing yards, picking dew berries, playing and climbing the numerous trees in our yard. We rode our bikes all over the town. Ernie souped his up and could make it go very fast. We picked up bottles for recycling and made some fun money for ourselves. We were members of the Arcadia Methodist Church Episcopal, South. There we learned the Bible, the music and the fellowship of faith. He would profess his faith in Jesus while living in California. I would do so later, while serving in Alaska. Time passed and we grew up. I served in the Air Force, He married and moved to Ft. Worth, working for the city in water and waste departments. He excelled, earning both certifications and important licenses. He retired and worked for smaller cities and private companies. Ernie was an incredibly talented mechanic. I best remember his 60 Chevy. Others would follow, but his pet truck in his later years was a 1946 2 Ton with a dump bed. He concluded his working years at Walmart, building bicycles and making sure they were put together correctly. Linda, Ernie's wife, his son Eric O'Day, his daughter Lisa (Troy) Macy, his grandson Chris O'Day (Heather and their son) will greatly miss him as will his brothers. Our Dad, Buck, our Mom, Hilda, our brother Bucky and our Sister-in-Law Karen all pre deceased him as did our grandparents. |
