Obituary of Ernest Block

Ernest Block passed away peacefully on June 4 in Mission Hills, CA. He had celebrated his 89th birthday on April 25. He was born in Hannover, Germany to his parents Julius and Frieda. When he was ten, his family immigrated to Uruguay to escape the Holocaust. Knowing no Spanish, his Uruguayan school placed him in a Kindergarten classroom. That did not impede him. Because of his soccer skills, the older children accepted him immediately. Ernesto immersed himself in sports through elementary and secondary school. In addition to soccer, his main sport was track and field. He also competed in water polo, basketball, and ping pong. He developed a strong network of Jewish German immigrant boys who remained his lifelong friends. He became an apprentice and then journeyman carpenter in Uruguay. He joined the Jewish Zionist movement in Montevideo where he met the love of his life, his wife, Ana. In October 2016 they celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. He was a proud man and approached life with optimism. Ernest was a competitive athlete who also loved to travel. Striving to better himself, he and Ana with their one-year old daughter, Fany, immigrated to the United States. With a strong work ethic, he worked at Standard Cabinet for more than 25 years where he eventually supervised the cabinet shop. Owning his home became his pride and what he wanted as his legacy to his children. He continued to exercise avidly. He belonged to a gym and ranlong before the jogging fad. Above all he loved his family. He adored Ana. He spoke lovingly about his parents and brother. He was a compassionate father who taught his daughters to be organized, take pride in their work, exercise regularly, and the importance of family. He cared deeply about his son-in-law and grandchildren and wanted the best for them. He also made sure that neither his daughters nor any of his grandchildren ever beat him in ping pong. In Sun City Ernie and Ana founded the ping pong club. He worked out at the gym, learned how to play tennis for which he developed a passion, took long walks, and competed in the Senior Olympics. He served on security patrol and the BKB board. For vacations, he and Ana traveled to most of Europe, Latin America, Israel, and to visit their children. Ernie is survived by his children Fany/Sheri (Louis) Schwarzbach of Northridge and Miriam Block of Minneapolis, his brother Juan Block of Israel, his grandchildren Jennifer (Mike) Brody of San Francisco, Jamie Schwarzbach of San Francisco, Roarke Thornswood of Minneapolis, Lennox Thornswood of Minneapolis, his cousins Susan and Larry Felsenthal, his nephew Ruben Block of Spain, and his nieces Sharon Avidan and Rosana Bella of Israel. He is preceded in death by his wife Ana Block and his parents Julius and Frieda Block. The funeral service will be held at Kraf- Sussman Funeral Services, 3975 S Durango Drive, Suite 104, Las Vegas 89147, on Friday, June 9 at 9:00 am with Rabbi Brooks officiating. Burial will follow at Bunkers Memory Garden Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Dr. Josephson, Medical Director at Brookdale Northridge for his excellent care. .