Paul Darwin Ernst

Paul D. Ernst, 70, of Wichita Falls, TX, peacefully went to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday, September 18, 2021. Funeral services will be held at 12 P.M., Monday, September 27th at First Presbyterian Church in Wichita Falls under the direction of Hampton Vaughan Crestview Funeral Home with Pastor Ike Butterworth and Pastor Michael Hansen officiating. A family graveside service will follow at Hampton Vaughan Crestview Memorial Park. He will be available for viewing starting Wednesday, September 22 at Hampton Vaughan Crestview Funeral Home.

Paul was born on March 14, 1951, in Wichita Falls, TX to Edward Ernst and Marcheta Galloway. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1969 and went on to attend the University of Oklahoma. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1973, he married his college sweetheart, Sue Conn, of McAlester, Oklahoma.

After two years working for Exxon in Houston, TX, they settled in Wichita Falls in 1975, where he took a job with F.T. Johnson Jr. as a petroleum engineer. In 1992, he partnered with Greg and Randy Johnson and purchased F.T.’s business to form Johnson & Ernst Operating Co. His son, Robert, joined the business in 1999 and Paul was blessed to work with him until it sold in 2018, when he retired.

Paul served as a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers since 1973, and a board member of the Oil Information Library, serving as president for two years. He also served on the board of the North Texas Oil & Gas Association as well as the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.

He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he previously served as a deacon. He was a longtime member of Ribs Inc. in charge of smoking the ribs since 1985. Paul loved creating and working on projects big and small. He especially loved building two new Fantasy of Lights displays to donate to Midwestern State University. He and his son Robert designed and created “A Toy’s Christmas” in 2013, with help from grandson Cash. Then while undergoing cancer treatment, he finished the “Frozen” display in 2019. He also loved helping build a playhouse last summer for his granddaughter Samantha with son-in-law Scott.

He loved fly fishing, playing golf and searching for oil, but what he loved most was his family. He loved them so dearly and spent as much time as he could with them, especially his grandchildren Cash and Samantha. He would drop anything to spend time with them. He always put others before himself and even in his final days he was making sure his family was going to be all right.

Paul was preceded in death by his father, Edward.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Sue, son, Robert Ernst and wife, Lacee, daughter, Ashley Dye and husband, Scott, grandchildren, Cash Ernst and Samantha Dye, mother, Marcheta “Kitty” Ernst, brother, David Ernst, brother-in-law, Ronald Conn, aunt, Donna Ernst and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to First Presbyterian Church of Wichita Falls or Hospice of Wichita Falls, who took such great care of him. The Ernst family would like to graciously thank the staff at Presbyterian Manor for exceptional care.