Ernie died May 5, 2013, in Okatie, S.C. He is remembered as an outstanding athlete in football and lacrosse, and an All-American in lacrosse in 1946.
Ernie graduated from Phillips Exeter. He joined the Marines and Princeton’s V-12 program in 1944. He returned to Princeton as a civilian in 1946 and graduated in 1947 with an A.B. in economics.
During the next two years, Ernie worked at Johnson & Higgins. He then came back to Princeton as assistant to the dean, freshman football coach, and lacrosse head coach.
In 1950 he joined his brothers (including Percy ‘46) at Giles & Ransome, a large Caterpillar dealership. During his long career, which he ended as company chairman, Ernie found time to serve on a number of bank boards during the 1970s and ‘80s. He and Percy also founded Ransome Airlines.
Ernie was able to find time for lots of golf. He was club champion, board member, president, and chairman of Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementon, N.J. In 1955 he was awarded the USGA medal for 25 years of service to the sport.
He and his first wife, Nancy, had three daughters. In 1994 he married Myradean, and in 1997 they moved to South Carolina.
The class sends memories of this outstanding classmate and friend to Myradean; daughters Leslie, Jane, and Elizabeth; and Ernie’s stepchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.