Fred Ernst

Gerhardt Frederic Ernst Obituary

Gerhardt Frederic Ernst (Fred), 87, of Burnsville, Minnesota died a natural death on Sunday, December 7th, 2025, at Methodist Hospital, with the support of family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his brothers: Bob Ernst, Tom Ernst, Bill Ernst and his brother-in-law, Paul Walsh.

Fred was born, November 13th, 1938, to Helen (Schmid) and William Ernst in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended St. Matthew's Elementary School and then continued his education at Cretin High School. He went on to earn a BS degree in electrical engineering and business from the University of Minnesota. Upon graduation, he accepted a position at Honeywell in Minneapolis and worked there for over 35 years.

He was number six of seven children that grew up in a house on Baker Street in St. Paul, Minnesota. His siblings were: Joan (Paul) Walsh, Bob Ernst, Tom (Helen) Ernst, Mary Ellen Gorieski, Bill Ernst and Carolyn (Dave) Von Weiss.

While in college, Fred was married and started a family. He bought his first house in St. Paul on Juliet Avenue and filled this home with three children and a dog. He loved his family deeply and was very proud of his children: Sue (Pete), Bob (Jane) and Sandy (Tom). His family continued to grow with seven grandchildren: Kaylee (Eric), Jake (Jenna), Aaron (Gretchen), Nick, Matthew, Maddy and Paige and he was thankful to see his lineage continue with four great-grandsons, and another on the way.

Fred was smart, humble, loyal, and had a quiet sense of humor. He shared his life for over 40 years with his companion, Kathy. He maintained life-long friendships vacationing, camping, x-country skiing, playing golf, playing bridge and competing for royal flushes. He loved creating a space for family and friends to gather. He hosted many Christmas dinners, pool parties, and fun adventures at his cabin. He was also an avid sports fan, following his favorite golfers, the Twins, the Vikings and Gopher football and basketball throughout the years.

A Life Celebration Mass will take place at 11 am on Friday, June 5th, 2026, at the Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapel in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with a Visitation one hour prior to the Mass. A private burial take place at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the medical community for their service and dedication. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Jude’s Children's Cancer Research or the American Cancer Society.