Anthony (Tony) Ernst, a 45-year resident of Southampton, passed away peacefully on August 19, with his wife and sons by his side. He was 88.
He was raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey, by his parents, Sidney and Eve Ernst. After graduating from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, in which he proudly served in the Signal Corps.
Upon completion of active military duty, he spent his entire career as an electrical engineer focused on large-scale electrical power transmission systems, first with General Cable, its acquirer Pirelli, the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and then Underground Systems Inc. His work was featured in electrification projects for utilities and municipalities around the world. Before the modern internet, he designed one of the first remote monitoring systems for utilities. He was ahead of his time, working from home a few days a week via a private line telephone modem in the 1980s.
As family and lucky friends will attest, he was a skilled chef and a connoisseur of local farmstands, fishmongers, and vineyards. His minestrone soup and hand-chopped pesto were without peers. After growing up a short walk from the ocean, the beach was his favorite place to relax, and he swam nearly year-round from the shore at Flying Point.
But his real passion was liberty. He was active in the civil rights movement during the 1960s, and he continued that work throughout his life, attending anti-war protests in New York and weekly peace vigils in Sag Harbor. Friends described him as a fierce political activist and a passionate voice during pivotal moments in history. In his spare time, in cooperation with Canio’s bookstore in Sag Harbor, he produced East End Ink, a monthly literary review broadcast on WPKN radio where he was a board member for nearly a decade.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Ann Dahlquist Ernst of Southampton; his previous wife, Mary Ernst and their children, Andrew Ernst of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and Daniel Ernst of Den Haag, The Netherlands; his stepdaughters Deborah Dahlquist of Sag Harbor, Robin Yates of Hampton Bays, Heidi Kidd of Frisco, Texas; his grandchildren, Andrew and Emily of Massachusetts, Madeleine and Graham of The Netherlands; his step-grandchildren, Edward of New York, Amanda of New Hampshire, Robert of North Carolina and Gavin and Chase of Texas.
In lieu of flowers, mourners may consider donating in his name to WPKN radio (wpkn.org) or another charity of their choice.
Staff Writer on Sep 1, 2025