Lionel Ernest Peru

Our brother, Ernie - was the eldest of three brothers and one sister born to Oscar and Alice (Bays) Peru in Modesto California. The boys in the family are all big, six-foot plus, and Ernie the tallest - was athletic as a youngster. He loved basketball the most... his high school coach called him "Lions" a reflection of his eagerness on the court.

It was a time when the Viet Nam conflict began festering, but Ernie left high school and joined the US Navy, where he got his GED and first shipboard duties. He took an early-out when our mother was diagnosed with terminal illness and moved to New York City, closer to our family in New Jersey. There he met and married a beautiful city girl. They soon had a son - Christopher, still a resident of his native New York.

Our big brother was gregarious and outgoing outside of his home, always a smile and a joke, or a friendly jab to bring a laugh. And yet Ernie was reclusive in his older years, he valued his privacy and valued those of us that respected his right to solitude. We miss him still.

Your loving family,

John, Alice and Tom Peru