April 15, 2017
In Memoriam: Richard A. Ernst ’61; played two sports, coached at PC
Richard A. “Dick” Ernst ’61, who played hockey and tennis at Providence College and coached the men’s tennis team from 1970-1975, died on Sept. 19, 2016.
Mr. Ernst was a teacher and coach in Rhode Island for more than half a century. He coached boys and girls teams in hockey and tennis at high schools in Cranston, North Smithfield, Lincoln, Barrington, and North Providence, and at Moses Brown School in Providence. As a coach at Rhode Island College, he guided the men’s and women’s teams to four conference championships each.
Mr. Ernst was a lifelong resident of Cranston. He graduated in 1956 from Cranston High School, where he earned all-state honors in hockey and tennis, and in 1957 from Bridgton Academy in Maine, where he played both sports. When he graduated from PC, he was presented the Mal Brown Award for sportsmanship, courage, and honor in intercollegiate sports.
Mr. Ernst played in New England amateur and semi-pro hockey leagues until he was 35 years old and in local and regional tennis tournaments throughout his adult life. He ran the Rhode Island Metropolitan Tennis Championships — the largest amateur open tennis tournament in New England and held at Roger Williams Park in Providence — for more than 40 years. He led all-star tennis and hockey tours to Ireland, Sweden, and California as a member of the People-to-People organization.
Among his many honors, he was a member of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and the New England Tennis Hall of Fame. He also received the Gardner Chase Award, the highest honor awarded by USTA New England.
In November 2015, Mr. Ernst wrote about his life and career in The Providence Journal.
“I loved pond games and skating for miles, rising at 4 a.m. to go to the rinks for practices,” Mr. Ernst wrote. “The joy, anticipation and adrenaline rush in packed arenas, facing formidable coaches and players, as well as the whoops, hollers, scowls and laughs, motivated my teams with determination to win. Helping players to be better people, coaching average players, All-Staters, future college players, future NHL players or someone like Jack Capuano, currently coach of the New York Islanders, are just some memories.”
Mr. Ernst is survived by his wife, Rollice Anne (Jones) Ernst; two sons, Robert C. Ernst and Gordon M. Ernst; five grandchildren; a sister; a niece; and a nephew. He was the father of the late Andrew R. Ernst.
A memorial service was held on Sept. 24 in Phillips Memorial Baptist Church, Cranston.
