Ernest Chrisbacher

On the evening of May 13th, 2020 Ernest Chrisbacher of Wayne, NJ died peacefully in his home following a courageous battle with cancer.  Ernie was born to John Chrisbacher and Anna Chrisbacher, nee Meinzinger, in 1933.  He grew up in Hawthorne, NJ and attended Newark College of Engineering (now NJIT) where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. After graduating, Ernie joined the Air Force and was stationed at Sculthorpe AFB in Norfolk, England.  Following his service, he began a rewarding career with several engineering firms, including his own startups.

Ernie met the love of his life, Marian, dancing at their 10th high school reunion, and they settled at Packanack Lake in Wayne, NJ to raise their three sons.  In his spare time, he was an avid reader, hiker and skier.  After finding arrowheads in local farm fields as a child and later as an adult, he developed a passion for, and expertise in flintknapping, the art of crafting an arrowhead from raw stone.  He also had a passion for discovering his ancestry, and extensively researched his family’s genealogy for over 50-years.  As a result, he became an expert on the German immigrants from Veszprém county, Hungary, and wrote and published a book on the subject that has sold out over 3 printings.  He also wrote a lighthearted book titled Noontime Dancing with short stories from his childhood.

When Ernie was 8, he discovered the world of butterflies and moths. With the help of a neighbor, he learned to catch, preserve, and display his insects, and later how to raise them. Ernie’s interest turned into a full-fledged hobby; he spent nearly his entire life as an amateur lepidopterist, raising and collecting butterflies and moths with his sons.

Ernie taught himself to ski as a young man. He joined, and later became President of Twin Hickory Ski Club of Nutley NJ, and taught his three sons to ski at an early age. Every winter, Ernie and family enjoyed a week of skiing in Vermont or Colorado.  Ernie was still skiing with his sons and granddaughters at the age of 81.

Ernie enjoyed a nice glass of wine and loved to participate in blind wine tastings with his sons and family.  In his retirement, he became a talented, self-taught winemaker and perfected his technique for top-notch, Dry Riesling.

Ernie was predeceased by his brother, John, who passed in March, 2019.  He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marian, sons and daughters-in-law, Peter & Kathy, George, and Carl & Janeene, as well as his five beautiful granddaughters, Leah, Katie, Julia, Anneliese, and Claire.

Please click here for a slideshow of Ernie throughout the years.