BOSTON, O.E. "Ernie" was born Jan. 9, 1926, in New Haven, W.Va., the youngest of five children. He grew up in Toronto, Ohio. Early in 1944, at the age of 17, he left Toronto High to join the U.S. Navy. After the end of World War II, he went to Ohio University and graduated with a BA in Economics in two and a half years. He received his MBA from Ohio State University the following year and was then called back into the Navy during the Korean conflict.
He married Betty Roach in Dayton in 1952 and started his career with GE in Cincinnati. GE then transferred him to Syracuse, N.Y., Santa Barbara, Calif., and finally to Hanford in Richland, Wash., where he remained. He became a real estate broker and established his office in Richland.
During the last 51 years, Ernie's activities were many and varied but largely directed toward service to the community. In 1986 he was named Citizen of the Year and was congratulated in person by Washington's then-governor, Booth Gardner.
Ernie loved to sing - particularly barbershop music. He was an avid hiker with his family, using their cabin near Mount Rainier as a starting point.
Ernie died on May 30, 2012. He is survived by Betty, his wife, sons, Kerry of Spokane and Brian with wife Anna of Shoreline, Wash., and grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, Wilbur Boston, his two sisters and two brothers, but is survived by caring nieces and nephews, one of whom, Bonnie Reed, lives in Toronto.
An online complete obituary and guest book is available at www.einansfuneralhome.com.
