STRUCK, Ernest ‘Ernie’ 1961 – 2025

ERNEST STRUCK

October 19, 1961 – March 9, 2025

It is with great sadness that the family of Ernest (Ernie) Struck shares the news of his sudden passing at the age of 63 on Sunday March 9, 2025 at his home in Carmangay, Alberta.

Ernie will forever be remembered for his humour, quick wit and teasing ways always to his family and friends.  Ernie’s stories and adventures throughout his life almost always left you with a smile on your face.  Everyone who knew him or spent any time with him has an “Ernie story” that may make you shake your head with disbelief but will always leave you smiling after thinking about the adventure, mishap or death-defying-act he somehow survived through.

Ernie was born in Calgary on October 19, 1961 and grew up in Bowness and from the youngest of ages he loved playing in the dirt with his dinky toy cars and trucks.  That is probably why he became such a skilled machine operator.  He could dig, drill and scrape dirt with the best of them.  Being a multi-talented machine operator on many types of equipment allowed him to work and live in many different parts of Alberta and British Columbia working in his younger years as a train operator and other jobs at Bowness Park while he was going to school, then in BC at a plasir gold mine, fire fighting, forest management fire protection, tree planting, and back in Alberta for many years as directional drilling, then road building and road maintenance.  He returned to Calgary from BC to be closer to family and friends, and then met Sandy, Tara and Travis and became the family man.  They had their son Cody and after quite a few years moved to the quieter life in the smaller community of Carmangay, Alberta.  Ernie loved his family and building for them unique or one-of-a-kind sheds and playhouse, decks, firepits, above ground pools, ponds and renovations to their home.

Ernie also loved tinkering, painting (even with paint rollers) or “renovating” on his cars when he was younger.  He loved camping, boating, snowmobiling, motorbiking, watering skiing, and fixing up derby cars in his younger years, and then later years hanging out with family and friends, collecting model cars, collecting miniature trains, clocks, loved going to garage sales and more recent years using Market Place online as his retail therapy shopping.

Ernie will be dearly missed by his “Ma” (Jean), son (Cody), Sandy, Big-Sis (Wanda & Andrew), Lil-Sis (Sherry), Chico (his beloved best buddy pup), and many loving family members and countless close friends in Carmangay and Calgary areas.  Ernie was predeceased by his Dad (Raymond) in 2020, and his beloved dogs Rusty (Babe), Charlie and Peanut.

There will be a Celebration Of Life for Ernie at the Carmangay Community Centre on Sunday April 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM.   If you can make it please bring in writing your best “Ernie Story”.  If you cannot attend please email your best “Ernie stories” to wandrusy@yahoo.ca so that we can make a book that we can read and smile thinking about our Ernie and the many memories he made.

Ernie’s family would like to thank the Vulcan Funeral Home and their staff for their compassion and wonderful  care at this time.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory may be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association- Alberta Division, or any animal rescue shelter in your neighborhood.  Ernie loved all animals and they loved him.

Ernie was a large part of each of our lives and we will be missing him so much but he will always be in our hearts and memories!

Arrangements in care of Vulcan Funeral Home, Vulcan, AB.