Ernest D. Crowley, Jr

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 from Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Rd., Fitchburg, with a Mass to be celebrated at  Holy Family of Nazareth Church in Leominster at 10:00 AM.  Burial will followat Saint Leo’s Cemetery, Leominster. Calling hours will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, August 16th from 4 until 7 PM.  In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions in the memory of Ernest D. Crowley, Jr., be made to the Holy Family of Nazareth Church Building Fund, 750 Union St., Leominster, MA 01453.



Leominster – Ernest D. Crowley, Jr., 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on August 11, 2016. Ernie was born in Leominster to the late Ernest & Vernest (Moquin) Crowley.  He was a graduate of Saint Bernard’s High School, Class of 1952, and began a life-long career in construction.  Prior to leaving high school, Ernie enlisted with the Seabees, a division of the US Naval Construction Forces.

 

At St. Bernard’s, Ernie met Priscilla, the love of his life.  They married in 1955 and began a lifetime of family memories that spanned 61 years.  Ernie began his construction career with the City of Leominster before joining the family business, Crowley Associates, Inc., in 1956.  He worked hard and passionately developed the company for over 40 years.  Later, he proudly joined his son in business at M.P. Crowley Company, Inc., as Treasurer.  In 2014, the family business continued to grow with the introduction of Ernco Development Corp. or EDC, a new business venture named after Ernie.

 

Ernie was known to all as “Big Ern” and will be fondly remembered as such.  He was a loving, caring husband and a proud father, grampa, and great grampa.  Big Ern was very devoted to his family and will be most remembered as a soul mate and best friend with Priscilla.  Family was truly his world and folks would marvel how his family worked, played, traveled, hunted and fished together.  He was well known in Leominster, spending a lifetime there as part of a big family.  He was also passionate about being in Maine with his family and friends and so loved spending time there.

 

Ernie leaves his wife Priscilla (Gokey) Crowley, a son, Michael Crowley and Lisa Mooney of Leominster, and two daughters, Robin Coyne and her husband John, Kelly Kavanagh and her husband Robin, both of Boston.  He leavesseven grandchildren, Michael Crowley, Jr., Christopher Crowley and his wife Gabby, Micaela Crowley and her fiancé Jay Cook, Meghan Wilson and her husband Mike, Molly Coyne Gillespie and her husband Sean, John (Jake) Coyne, andJared Coyne.  He also leaves seven great grandchildren, Michael Crowley, III, Taylor Crowley, Emelie Crowley, Claire Wilson, Hannah Wilson, Rowan Crowley, and Zachary Mooney.  He leaves two sisters, Ellen Buckley and Elizabeth Fisherboth of Leominster; and brother-in-law Philip Bailey of Clinton, along with many nieces and nephews.  Ernie was predeceased by two sisters, Vernest Flink of West Boylston and Barbara Bailey of Clinton.

 

We miss Big Ern dearly and as the Irish Poet James Joyce said, “they lived and laughed and loved and left, and the world will never be the same.”

 

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 from Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Rd., Fitchburg, with a Mass to be celebrated at  Holy Family of Nazareth Church in Leominster at 10:00 AM.  Burial will followat Saint Leo’s Cemetery, Leominster. Calling hours will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, August 16th from 4 until 7 PM.  In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions in the memory of Ernest D. Crowley, Jr., be made to the Holy Family of Nazareth Church Building Fund, 750 Union St., Leominster, MA 01453.