MERKLEY, Ernest Robert -
October 11, 1932 - December 23, 2023
Ernie died peacefully, at Toronto Western Hospital surrounded by family. Ernie was devoted to his family - his beloved wife, Sheila (nee Stewart, 1934-2014); his children, Ian, Wendy and Cathy; his grandchildren, Tyler, Kyle, Cody, Daniel, Jessica and Anika; and his great-grandchildren, Luke, Cadence, Carmen, Wyatt and Max.
A natural on the trumpet, Ernie played his first paid gig at the age of 16, just 2 and a half years after his first lesson.
While touring the UK with a Big Band, Ernie met Sheila and brought her home to Canada as his wife.
Over his 30-year professional career, he freelanced with many jazz and dance bands, the CBC Orchestra and the TSO.
He was a member of the National Ballet Orchestra from 1955-59 and performed in almost every show at the O'Keefe Centre (now Meridian Hall) from its opening day in 1960 to the mid-1970s.
Ernie then transitioned to teaching, primarily in York Region, where he inspired a generation of teenage musicians at Woodbridge and Newmarket High Schools. For decades, Ernie sought physical and spiritual well-being through daily meditation, yoga, exercise and a strict vegetarian diet.
This lifestyle kept him in very good health to his final days at Christie Gardens.
A Celebration of Ernie's Life will be held on Monday, January 8, 2024, 4-8 p.m. at the Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks St., Toronto. Family and friends are welcome.
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