Født 29 Mar 1918 Colerado
Død 16 Feb 2016 California, USA
Fødsel 29 Mar 1918
Colerado
Død 16 Feb 2016
California, USA
Ernest P. Ledterman
MARCH 29, 1918 – FEBRUARY 16, 2016
Obituary of Ernest P. Ledterman
After a long and happy life, Ernest Ledterman died of natural causes on February 16, 2016. He was 97 years old, but was relatively healthy and pain-free until the end.
Ernie was part of what has been called The Greatest Generation, and his was truly a life well lived. He was born in Colorado, but grew up in Los Angeles. After graduating from high school in 1935, he attended UCLA, graduating with a degree in Geology and a rank of Second Lieutenant in the ROTC. In 1940, he married Lauretta Benedict, a beautiful young woman he had loved since he first met her at the age of 14. He worked briefly for Pacific Telephone Company, but as World War II approached, he was called up and eventually assigned to the Signal Corps. He served in Iceland, London, and Paris, and returned home in 1945 with the rank of Major.
After the war, Ernie returned to work for Pacific Telephone and spent 35 years as a communications engineer. He and Lauretta had three children – Kurt, Karen, and Arlene. The family moved to La Jolla, California, in 1962. After retirement in 1975, he and Lauretta traveled, rode their bicycles, and enjoyed spending time with their children and grandchildren. Ernie's wife Lauretta died in 2003, and his son Kurt in 2015. He is survived by his two loving daughters, Karen and Arlene, who will miss him greatly.
When people spoke of Ernie, even those who were meeting him for the first time, they always described him as a gentle soul, or a sweet man, or a real gentleman. He was courteous, easy-going, and optimistic. When challenges came his way, he faced them pragmatically and with calm acceptance. He did not complain about the inevitable declines we all face, but rather was an example of how to age gracefully. He was intelligent, creative, thrifty, careful, and practical. Most of all, he was a compassionate man, a loving husband and father, and an example for us all.
