BOWDOIN — Ernest Leonard Parsons, 85, resident of Bowdoin, Maine, died Thursday September 22, 2016 at home surrounded by his loving wife, family, and faithful dog, Zoe.

He was born June 7, 1931 in Ashland, MA, son of Earnest L. and Huldah Viola Wadsworth Parsons. Ernie graduated high school at Thompson’s Academy, Boston , MA, and received his amateur HAM radio license that same year.

He served in the United States Air Force enlisting in 1948 just prior to the outbreak of the Korean War. He spent 2 years in the Basic Radio School, Belville, IL, continued on to Advanced Radio School and spent the next 13 months in Korea operating and maintaining both radio and radar equipment. In 1952 he spent his final 2 years of service life in Specialty Electronics School, being honorably discharged in 1954 holding the rank of S/Sgt.

As a civilian he was employed by Edgerton, Germeshausen and Grier, Inc where he was employed in the Nuclear Weapons Test Program, Research and Development for the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1960, Ernie worked for the Valpey Corp. in Holliston, MA manufacturing Quartz Crystals and Frequency control devices. He was involved in designing the first communication package that was aboard the first Hard Lunar Landing experiment on the moon.

In 1974, after moving to ME , he was employed to Bath Iron Works working on Sonar exploration on Navy destroyers and cruisers. In 1983 he was hired as a civilian combat systems technician by the U.S Navy Engineering Office in Bath, ME, spending the final 12 years of his working career designing and installing communications systems to be installed on FFG 7 Oliver Hazard Perry Class Destroyers, CG 47 Ticonderoga Class Cruisers, and DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers.

He joined the church in 1974 and went on to hold varied positions while serving the Lord. In 1994 he was set in as an elder in the church and in 1996 both he and his wife Carla were ordained as pastors He was an avid amateur HAM radio operator and enjoyed designing and building his own equipment. Ernie enjoyed many hours of woodworking, gardening, and fishing, often relating one story after another of “the one that got away.”

Ernie is survived by his loving wife of 42 years Carla Gregory Parsons of Bowdoin, 6 children, Ellen P Croninger, Henderson, NC, Ernest L. Parsons, Waterboro, ME, Jane P Marshall, Indianapolis, IN, Lynn P Bubley, West Roxbury, MA, Margaret W. P. Fletcher, Concord, NH, Prescott A. Parsons, Alfred, ME , their respective spouses, William Croninger, Joyce Parsons, Mark Marshall, Glenn Bubley, William Fletcher, 18 grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. He is also survived by a sister Ruth Curry and husband, Charles of Bumpass, VA and predeceased by a sister Jane Chapman of Bath, ME. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend to many and will be greatly missed.

Visiting hours will be held from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM at Brackett Funeral Home 29 Federal Street Brunswick, ME on Thursday September 29, 2016. A Service of Celebration will be held at Freedom Life Center, Home of Family Christian Fellowship 655 Augusta Road Topsham ME on Friday September 30, 2016 at 1 PM. Burial will follow at Bayview Cemetery Bowdoinham, ME.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to CHANS Home Health Care or Bowdoin Fire Department. To leave a message of condolence or fond memory of Ernie for the Parsons family, please visit www.brackettfuneralhome.com.