Ernest LeMay

Ernest “Ernie” LeMay, age 76, of Wayne for twenty-two years, formerly of Haledon where he lived for fifty-five years, passed Sunday, June 6, 2021.

He was born in Paterson and raised in the family home on Aberdeen Court in Haledon. He graduated from Paterson Technical High School with the Class of 1963.

Through the years Ernest worked as a diesel mechanic and was self-employed trading as Aberdeen Trucking where he owned a dump truck and an eighteen wheeler. After a few years he found employment as a diesel mechanic for the Hess Corporation in Bogota. Before he would take the job with Hess he insisted they give him the missing collectable trucks from his Hess Truck collection. He worked at the Hess Corporation for 25 years before retiring in 2013.

Ernest met his wife Ann when they were just teenagers. Ernie was working at the local service station and was sent to the Cafasso home to pick up their car for service. He knocked on the door and Ann answered – with her head covered in curlers! She was so embarrassed when she saw this handsome young man at the door that she ran back into the house, forgetting to give him the car keys. When Ernie returned the car late that day, Ann came to the door looking perfectly stunning, and she caught his eye this time. Sometime later she came to visit him at the service station, tapping him on the shoulder while he was hunched over working on a car. He replied “I’ll be right with you Sam!” When Ernie finally turned around, he was pleasantly surprised to see Ann standing there, and not his friend Sam. Nevertheless, her nickname was born that day, and she’s been affectionately called “Sam” ever since. After their first date to Falls View for hot dogs, they were married on October 22, 1966. They’ve enjoyed forty nine “very good” years together, including many memorable trips to Atlantic City where they would play the slots sitting right next to each other, until her passing on October 18, 2015.

Ernie was a member of the Paterson Elks Lodge and a bowler in Fair Lawn and Paterson leagues for many years. He was a man of few words and had a very dry sense of humor. As a diesel mechanic he would only buy diesel cars, loved his 1966 Chevy Pickup, and didn’t let anyone else drive his cars. He loved his 50’s and 60’s music and as a matter of fact if you had a different radio station on he would sneak over and change the radio to his music. He was a Nascar Fanatic who collected model Nascar cars along with his toy Hess truck collection. He was the master of taking care of the pool at his and his daughter, Jacqui’s home, and when it came to loading the dish washer only he was capable of doing it correctly. When it came to many things like recycling or loading the dish washer Ernie stood fast to the “no matter how you did it…it wasn’t right” motto. He was a long time New York Yankee fan who also liked watching BuzzrTV which shows re-runs of many old game show programs.

He was the loving husband of Ann “Sam” LeMay (d.2015); devoted father of Jacqueline “Jacqui” Tirella (Michael) of Wayne, Ernest LeMay III (Christine) of West Milford, Christopher LeMay (Jessica) of North Haledon, and David (Cynthia) LeMay of West Milford; he was the cherished grandfather of eleven boys: Michael, Nicholas, Dominic, Jay, Mathew, Anthony, Joey, CJ, Donevan, Aaron, Evan and one granddaughter Miliana; he was the dearly loved great-grandfather of Adalynn; and the much loved brother of Eleanor “Ellie,” or as Ernie would call her, “honey” Buda of Monroe, NJ.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children's Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.