Ernie Anderson, 84, of Madison, died Dec. 8 at home with his family. He was born July 24, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey, to Gladys and George Anderson.

Before graduating from Westfield New Jersey High School, he worked for Western Union. This experience led to his becoming a very young LTJG/Communications Officer on the USS Baltimore, a ship that was in the 1953 Coronation Naval Review in London for Queen Elizabeth. He graduated from Amherst College in 1950, joined the United States Navy, and later graduated from Harvard School of Education with masters and doctors degrees.

Ernie taught higher education management systems courses at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, for 30 years. He also did consulting work in school scheduling in the United States and Asia. He lectured on television for Japanese universities in Hokkaido, in person in several schools throughout Australia, and joined a People-to-People trip about computers and other trips to China between 1987 and 2005. When Clinton became President, Ernie delivered a message from former Vice President Gore to the Chinese from the stage of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He twice went around the world via Russia. 

Ernie worked on trail crew in Vermont and New York, hiked the entire Vermont Green Mountain Trail, and climbed all 46 peaks above 4000 feet in the New York Adirondaks. He also led both Boy and Girl Scout troops as leader and in camping and committees; worked as motorman/conductor in three trolley museums; and served on the Government Relations and Tourism Chamber of Commerce committees. Ernie attended international scout jamborees in the United States, and led post-jamboree bus trips of international scouts. A Hammonasset camporee with Boy and Girl Scouts and Russian children from the New York City Soviet Mission changed Gorbachev’s attitude toward Scouting. After chairing his 35th Amherst College Reunion, and other service, Ernie became a class officer. He received many awards for his volunteer service.

Ernie helped found and became president of the Association of Educational Data Systems, now an international organization. With other international organizations such as IEARN, he demonstrated his interest in helping young people of various countries to learn about each other with the help of computer communications. At a conference in Beijing, he met someone from Zimbabwe who delivered and installed 100 computers at Mt. Selinda school/hospital, of interest to Madison’s First Congregational Church. Ernie in the choir at Madison First Congregational Church and other choirs. He moved to Madison after retirement, and brought scouts and other non-profits into Chambers of Commerce in Branford, Guilford, and Madison.  Scouts have done Eagle projects for these towns.

Ernie is survived by his wife Pat; son Russell and his wife Migle; and daughter Carol Rowe.

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Madison. Burial will be in West Cemetery, Madison.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to National Public Radio, Boy and/or Girl Scouts, or Branford Electric Railway Association (Trolley Museum).