Larry Lee Ernst

Captain Larry L. Ernst was born in Charleston, West Virginia, on July 19th, 1943, to his parents, Eileen and Everett Ernst. He and his two sisters, Ruann and Brenda, were raised in Beckley, West Virginia, before graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School. Throughout his many moves, he held his humble West Virginia roots in his heart. Country Roads has been sung with joy at each family event to honor this.

His lifelong love of nature began at an early age. He always felt at home in the great outdoors and a certain kinship with all of God’s creatures. He was the proud caretaker of many pets over the years, including a squirrel he raised from infancy.

He was awarded an NROTC scholarship to the Ohio State University, where he would meet a young girl named Bobbie from Mansfield, Ohio. The two were an instant match, marrying shortly thereafter in August of 1965.

Having received his USN commission that same year, he left the day after graduating and reported immediately for flight training in Pensacola, Florida. Larry was thrilled to receive orders to fly jets, exactly what he had requested on his “dream sheet.”

In the years that followed, their young family would grow to include two beautiful daughters, Jackie and Jenni. As duty called, the family moved across the country and the world with stops in Virginia, California, England, and Japan.

In 1969, he was an early pioneer of the newly formed United States Fighter Weapons School, graduating from one of the very first classes of the program that would soon be known around the world as Top Gun. In 1977, he returned to Top Gun, where he served as an instructor before being named the Executive Officer of the school.

In 1991, he took command of the U.S.S. Midway (CV-41). He served as the last Commanding Officer of Midway before bringing the ship home on its final voyage to become a permanent museum in San Diego Harbor.

Over his 27 years of military service, he flew over 4,600 hours in jets, props, and helos. He logged 136 combat missions, 658 fixed-wing carrier landings, and 28 rotary wing landings. His awards include a Presidential Unit Citation, 6 Air Medals, and 2 Navy Commendation Medals with Combat “V”. He was also selected for the West Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame and received the James Bond Stockdale award for inspirational leadership when serving as commanding officer of VF-101.

After retiring from military service in 1993, he served as the Business Development Manager at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, developing the very first Predator UAV system. In 1999, he switched to Avnet in Phoenix, Arizona, where he would serve as Vice President of Integrated Systems before retiring in 2003 and beginning his favorite role as a full-time grandpa to his four grandchildren, Sara, Scott, Blake, and Tyler.

Even after leaving the Navy, the Navy’s competitive spirit never left him. Larry excelled in nearly every hobby he pursued, whether it was skiing, shooting, chess, or especially golf. If you were ever looking for Larry, you’d be most likely to find him out on the course with a low score and a lit cigar.

His greatest passion, however, remained his family. He and his wife Bobbie traveled the world together, often with their daughters and grandchildren by their side. They enjoyed many cruises together, only this time from the deck rather than behind the wheel.

Larry’s passion for people and golf thrived within Arizona’s Tonto Verde community. There, he was able to meet new lifelong friends, enjoy visits from his grandchildren, and play golf nearly every day. His final years would be spent in Austin, TX, to be closer to his daughter Jenni, her two sons, and, of course, the legendary golf courses at Barton Creek Country Club.

He made his final takeoff on May 26th, 2026.