Ernest Schumacher

Ernest immigrated from Germany to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1951. In 1956 he joined the Air Force as an engineer and served four years based in Charleston, South Carolina. After meeting in Pittsburgh and dating for a few years, Ernest married Virginia Orndoff in 1958.

After leaving the service, Ernest returned to Pittsburgh and began his career as a tool and die maker with Hanlon & Wilson. A few years later Ernest and Virginia moved to Charlotte, North Carolina where they purchased their family home. Ernest and Virginia welcomed their first daughter, Karen, in 1959 and their second daughter, Ruth, in 1962.

From 1965 to 1998 Ernest worked as a mechanical engineer with Duff Norton. In the mid 1980’s, while working full time at Duff Norton, Ernest started teaching mechanical engineering night classes at Central Piedmont Community College. He would continue to teach at Central Piedmont for over two decades before retiring in 2012. Ernest was a loving and proud husband, father, and grandfather.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia Schumacher; his daughter, Ruth Ann Hunt; and his grandson, Scott Stancill.

The service to honor his life will be held at 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at St. Luke's Lutheran, 3200 Park Rd., Charlotte. The family will receive friends from 3:00 - 3:45 PM prior to the service.