Walk into the new cafe at Southhaven Aged Care in Padstow Heights and you will immediately notice “Ernie’s Cafe” scrawled above the doorway.
Ernie (Howard) Erwin, a resident of our Padstow Heights Home before he passed away in 2015, grew up on the family farm in Peakhurst, with his parents and sister Valerie.
The family attended the Christadelphian ecclesia at Central for many years, before joining Shaftesbury Rd in Burwood and then Riverwood.
Ernie taught himself the keyboard and could play by ear. He composed his own music and was known as a talented musician.
He owned quite a few cars, and loved going on roadtrips, including up to Queensland.
On one such trip became lost, and because there were no street lights back then, drove all night until he found some lights in a town.
He had ended up Cairns, and stayed there for a few months because it was so warm.
Ernie never married, but didn’t have any regrets, as he relayed in a story on his life before he passed away.
“I never really felt sad about not getting married and having children,” he said.
“I used to get on well with my sister Val. We had a very close relationship as neither of us married but we spent our lives doing nearly everything together and caring for one another.”
Ernie’s favourite morning tea was a milkshake and cupcake, and after leaving Christadelphian Aged Care a substantial legacy, he has been remembered in the name of the new cafe at Southhaven.
