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Ernie Moretti passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at the age of 95. He has now joined the love of his life, Betty, whom he has missed dearly since her passing in 2014. The community has lost “one of the good ones”. With him we have also lost nearly a century of history of the Mendocino Coast.
Ernie was born on June 21, 1928, in Albion, California to Emilio Moretti and Agnes (Eklund) Moretti, Growing up during the depression, the family migrated for work and lived in many towns including Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Cazadero, Rockport and several logging camps. Ernie attended many schools including The Little Red School House on Highway 20 when it was located at Camp 19. Later he attended Junior High at Leggett Valley and graduated from Fort Bragg High School in 1946. In June of 1948, Ernie married Betty Paoli. They welcomed the births of their daughters, Laurna, Cherie and Julie and built their “forever home” in 1954, where he lived until his passing.
Ernie worked while in school as a bowling pin setter and at the Purity Store when it was located on Franklin Street and Redwood Avenue. He began working in the timber industry after graduation where he worked on the mill pond for the Union Lumber Company. He had many jobs for Union Lumber Company before becoming a timber faller. During his long career in the timber industry, he worked for Union Lumber Company, Boise Cascade, Georgia Pacific, Anderson Logging and Carl Wilson. After retiring in 1993, he worked as a security watchman for Georgia Pacific. He was respected by many and his knowledge and history of this industry will be missed.
He enjoyed the outdoors, camping with his family, hunting, fishing, sports and spending time with his friends and family, One of Ernie’s favorite places to go was camping on Big River where the family had a cabin for nearly 70 years. He missed the old times on the coast and enjoyed talking about them. He said the town was never the same after they moved the baseball diamond from main street. Ernie loved baseball and coached Little League. He was an avid San Francisco Giants fan, and especially enjoyed the trips he made to San Francisco with his family and friends to watch them play.
Ernie was preceded in death and was deeply saddened by the passing of his wife, Betty and his daughter, Laurna (Moretti) Dempsey, sisters Marie (Moretti) Poe and Berniece (Moretti) Juhola and his longtime friend, Claude Coverston.
He will be deeply missed by his family: Cherie (Walt) Nemeth, Julie Rodgers (Randy King); son-inlaw Jim Dempsey; his grandchildren, Carrie Freimuth-Dempsey (Brad Freimuth), Sara Zapata (Kyle Stampfli), Adam Nemeth (Ashley Nieminen), Haylie Bowman, Amy Richter (Matt Richter), Ian Richards (Laurel Richards), Lacey Huck (Anthony Huck) and great grandchildren: Anthony Zapata, Elijah Zapata, Hunter Stampfli, Chase Freimuth, Summer Nemeth, Blake Richter, Addison Richards, Sam Freimuth, Mariah Bowman, Emily Freimuth, Finley Richards, Easton Richter, Averie Nemeth, Mia Bowman and Goldie Huck.
Ernie also leaves behind his dear friend and neighbor, Carolyn Kostick and her sons, Marc and Jay, his good family friend Rusty Coverston, his Breakfast Club at Laurel Deli, as well as many, many family members and friends who will hold him dear to their hearts. He touched the lives of so many in our community.
The family would like to express a heartfelt thank you for the great care provided by his care team: Joe Martin, PA, Adventist Home Health Staff, granddaughter, Sara Zapata and Kyle Stampfli. A special thank you to Eric Burtleson for his kind and gentle care and to April Markus for her expert help when needed.
A Celebration of Life will be held on September 22, 2023, at 1:00 pm at the Presbyterian Church on Sanderson Way in Fort Bragg.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Fort Bragg Little League or Fort Bragg Forever.