Ernst Hauser

If the world had more Ernst Hausers it would be a much kinder, nobler, and gentle place. Ernst was born on May 15, 1930 in Vienna, Austria. Ernst had many fond childhood memories.

That childhood came to an end when Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938. Ernst's father was deported to the Dachau concentration camp, and then Buchenwald. Ernst's amazing mother travelled to Gestapo headquarters and somehow managed to get her husband released. The family left Austria shortly thereafter, and eventually made it to the United Kingdom. London was being bombed, so Ernst and other children were relocated to country farms.

Through the generosity of the Houston, Texas Jewish community, the Hausers obtained visas to enter the US. Ernst remembered the harrowing trip on the Eastern Prince as it zig-zagged through the North Atlantic to avoid Nazi U-boats. The family arrived in New York City in the summer of 1940. Ernst began his journey to become an American.

Ernst was a very bright guy, with an amazing memory. He was an Eagle Scout, was admitted to the prestigious Brooklyn Tech High School, and earned BS and MS degrees in engineering. He worked as an electrical engineer on missile systems before settling into a teaching career at Brooklyn Tech, where he worked until he retired in the early 1990's.

Ernst never married, but enjoyed a long partnership with Flavia Sorbo, who was widowed. Ernst and Flavia spent over thirty years together enjoying life in New York City and traveling, mostly to Italy, Flavia's native country. Flavia preceded Ernst in death in January 2021, shortly after they relocated to North Carolina to be closer to Flavia's children. They cared for Ernst with love and devotion through his final years, and he died peacefully with his hands in theirs.

Ernst was kind and gentle, a font of knowledge, an enthusiastic storyteller, an avid stamp collector who knew the details of every one of his stamps, and an excellent ballroom dancer. He was sweet beyond belief. Once you took the time to get to know Ernst, you realized he was a unique, neat guy.

Ernst is survived by cousin Eva Sperling and her family in New York, Inga Karliner in Illinois, and by Flavia's children, Linda Daigle and Ric Sorbo of North Carolina and their families.

Ernst spent his last years at Waltonwood Cary. We would like to thank the staff for the care and tenderness they showed Ernst. We also thank 3HC Hospice for their care. Ernst will be buried with family members in New York.

Thank you for your sweetness and uniqueness, Ernst. We will miss you.