Ernest R Sylvester January 8, 1949 – January 4th, 2026 Leeds- Ernest R Sylvester went home to be with the Lord on January 4th, 2026, with his family at his side, after a long illness. “Ernie” grew up in Greene and in his early days he enjoyed working on his family’s farm and fixing up old cars, forming a lifelong love of antique vehicles. After attending Leavitt Area High School, Ernie enlisted in the Navy and served his country both overseas and in the US. Shortly after coming home, Ernie met his wife Nancy and spent the next 40 years working side by side at Knowles Lumber in Monmouth, which they co-owned with Nancy’s brother, Robert. Ernie used his knowledge of plumbing to become a plumbing inspector and code enforcement officer for Leeds and Monmouth, where he served his communities for 40 years. Nancy and Ernie shared a love of horses; and could often be found driving or riding through their property in Leeds or driving their horses on the carriage trails of Acadia National Park with friends. Ernie worked part-time as a farrier and blacksmith well into his 70’s and enjoyed meeting and talking with others with a passion for horses. After retiring from the lumberyard, Ernie was able to focus on his true life’s mission of helping his neighbors. Ernie volunteered countless hours building whatever anyone needed, whether it was helping a friend build a barn or garage, or doing community outreach work with the Christian Community Church of Turner. Ernie worked tirelessly to ensure that anyone with a need in his community was taken care of, either through building wheelchair ramps, plowing driveways, or helping with the RCAM’s Christmas toy drives. Ernie still found time to tinker on his GTO, play the fiddle with his band, restore/build 4 airplanes with his son, Matt, and relax with Nancy and their grandsons at their favorite place in the world, their camp on Moosehead Lake. Ernie was pre-deceased by his parents, Ernest and Nellie Sylvester, two sisters, Barbara Buck and Rosemary Lamb, and sister-in-law Janis Sylvester. Ernie leaves behind many good friends, a wonderful church family at the Christian Community Church of Turner, his wife Nancy Sylvester, a brother-in-law, Robert Knowles and his wife Lolly, a brother, David Sylvester, a sister, Rebecca Hinkley and her husband Russell, a son, Matthew Sylvester and his wife Rebecca, along with two grandchildren, Mark and Drew Sylvester. In lieu of flowers, Ernie requested that donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. A celebration of life will be held at the Christian Community Church in Turner on Saturday, January 10, at 2pm.