Ernest William Sternberg III

Colchester - Ernest William Sternberg III, 54, of Colchester, died in his sleep Tuesday morning, Aug. 30, 2005, at the Palliative Care Center at Hartford Hospital. This marks the end of an eighteen month battle with cancer.

Ernie was a first vice-president of Advest, Inc. in Hartford, having worked for the firm for 27 of the last 30 years. He was recognized as Advest's 2004 Employee of the Year and recipient of the John A. King Award for Outstanding Service. He was known throughout Advest as the person to go to for answers when all other sources failed. Ernie performed in rock bands in the 60's and 70's, including Nemisis and The Enemies of Silence, playing bass guitar. He was a traveler, motorcyclist, and athlete. In his spare time he was an avid reader, practiced the martial arts of Aikido and Modern Arnis, played volleyball, and recently became active in the Live Action Role Playing community. Notable in his travels was a motorcycle trip from Hartford north to Canada, west to the Pacific, south to the Los Angeles, then back to Hartford. He left for the trip during summer 1978, returning just before Christmas. It was a motorcycle that took him across the country once again when he and his wife-to-be traveled to Seattle and turned a basement into a home for a year.

On May 9, 1951, Ernie was born at the same hospital where he died. Growing up in West Hartford, he graduated from Hall High School in 1969, lettering in football, wrestling, and track. At 155 pounds, he was a starting offensive lineman, and according to a teammate, "he got the job done." Gladly getting the job done was something he was counted on to do throughout his life. He was repeatedly elected by classmates to represent them in student government and was active in many other extracurricular activities.

He was a National Merit Scholar Finalist, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by his peers. Ernie attended Duke University, graduating in 1974 with a bachelor of science degree in anthropology and political science. That summer, he hitchhiked alone from North Carolina to a friend's wedding in the Colorado Rockies. He walked most of the last several miles to a remote home and immediately spent several hours helping contain a small forest fire. Having missed the previous two nights' sleep, he then took a nap.

On Aug. 15, 1980, Ernie married Janis Ann Lynch, and celebrated their second wedding anniversary by having their first child, a son named Graham. True to family form, he was a day late. By the time their daughter, Whitney, was born, both Jan and Ernie had sidecars on their motorcycles. Jan died on May 15, 1998, also from cancer.

A friend who shared Ernie's last night at the hospital reports that his subtle grace lasted to the end. That same friend's brother called the nursing station to inquire about Ernie's condition Tuesday morning, not knowing that he had just passed and found that the member of the staff answering the phone could do little more than burst into tears. Even though he had known them for only eight days, he still managed to touch the lives of the nursing staff in a way that few can.

Ernie is survived by his two beloved children, Graham and Whitney, both of Colchester; his mother, Margaret (Joseph) DeSanzo of West Hartford; a sister, Ruthann (Wayne) Bouchard of Union; three brothers, Raymond (Mary) Sternberg of Dania, Fla.; Ken (Laura) Sternberg of Manchester, and John E. Sternberg of West Hartford; his father-in-law, Jack Lynch of Wallingford; his wife's siblings, Kathy (Bruce) Lawson of East Hampton and Jack (Laurie) Lynch of Glastonbury; dear friends, James Wagner of Columbus, Ohio, Robert Barrows of Peterboro, N.H., David (Rita) Armstrong of Los Angeles, Calif., Paul (Peggy) Seely of Old Saybrook, not to mention numerous extended family members and a multitude of friends.

Whether you knew him as Ernest, Ernie, Ern, or Ernesto, friends are encouraged to call Tuesday, Sept. 6, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home, 167 Old Hartford Road, Colchester, before a 5 p.m. memorial service. A gathering in honor of Ernie will take place at the Colchester Fish and Game Club, from 6 until 9 p.m. that night on Old Town Road, off of Rte. 85 North, in Colchester. Burial will be a family affair at Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Hartford Hospital Palliative Care Center, PO Box 5037, Hartford CT 06102 or to the Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, 555 Long Wharf Drive, Dept. W, New Haven CT 06511.