Ernst was born in Hamburg, Germany on November 19, 1931 and immigrated to Canada with his wife, Marion, and young daughters, Susanne and Sabine, in 1958. They subsequently immigrated to the U.S. in 1960.
Ernst retired from Loral Corporation in 1993 after a long career as a computer programmer (self-taught) for military aircraft reconnaissance and computer programming teacher.
Ernst was an avid kayaker and canoeist. He met his wife, Marion, at the Alster Canoe Club in Hamburg and frequently paddled on the Elbe River and North Sea before immigrating. He represented the U.S. in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, competing in the K-4 (kayaking) event. He was an accomplished builder of wooden kayaks and canoes which he paddled on rivers throughout the northeastern U.S.
Ernst was known for his encyclopedic memory and expertise in a wide range of areas, which he used to good measure in engaging discourse and storytelling. Even as a boy, he was known among his friends as the “professor”. He delighted in “educating” experts and novices alike.
His wife, Marion, predeceased him in 1999. He is survived by his children, Susanne Heincke (Gardner Locke), Sabine Heincke Weber, Arno Heincke (Debbie), and Kirsten Heincke (David Burch) and grandchildren: Julian, Sophie, Erik, Mason, Hanna and Joy.
His family will hold a gathering to celebrate his life on Sunday, April 12 from 2-4 pm at Tagine Restaurant, 120 Grand St., Croton on Hudson.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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