Mr. Ernest (Ernie) Robert Wrzesinsky
October 15, 1939 – May 17, 2021

Ernest (Ernie) Robert Wrzesinsky, 81, of Frye Island, Maine, and Naples, Florida died on Monday, May 17, 2021, in Naples.

The son of German immigrants, the late Claudia Becker and Ernest Wrzesinsky, he was born on October 15, 1939, in the Bronx (New York) where he lived until moving to New Jersey at the age of 5. Ernie graduated from Netcong High School in 1957 and entered the United States Air Force at the age of 17. He was stationed at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine until 1961. It was in Northern Maine that he met the love of his life and wife for over 58 years.

On February 5, 1962, Ernie enlisted in the New Jersey State Police Academy’s 59th class and gave the valedictory speech at their graduation ceremony. He worked on a variety of assignments during his illustrious 28-year career. In his first year, he represented the State of New Jersey at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, Washington. He was selected by then-Governor Brendan Byrne to serve on the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Arson Control. In 1964 he became part of the Underwater Recovery Unit. In 1972, as a Detective of the Major Crime Unit, he assisted in the establishment of a new unit that investigated homicide and arson, and later assisted in the establishment of the Arson Unit as a specialized unit. In 1977 Ernie was assigned to create the Fugitive Unit. Starting in 1978, he was the supervisor of the arson unit, supervised the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and established a computerized Fire Incident Reporting System for the State of New Jersey. After that, he was made Supervisor of the Narcotic Bureau, North Unit that conducted all narcotic investigations in the northern half of the state. In 1981 he coordinated all security for the National Governor’s Conference in Atlantic City and in 1982 was selected to provide security for the inauguration of then-Governor Thomas Kean. In 1985, he was promoted to Assistant Supervisor of the Investigation Section involving disciplines as diverse as Organized Crime, Narcotics, Arson, Alcoholic Beverages Control, Polygraph, and Toxic Waste and its budget of over 20 million dollars. He retired with the rank of Major, in charge of Special and Technical Services that included directing, coordinating, and controlling of the Forensic Sciences Bureau, Technical Bureau, Equine Testing Bureau, and State Regulatory Bureau including managing 4 forensics laboratories, 3 equine laboratories, 3 ballistic laboratories, firearms licensing and registration, private detective licensing, crime scene technicians, and forensic photography laboratory.

He attended Rutgers University, the University of Virginia, the FBI Academy, and graduated with honors in 1980 from Trenton State College with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. He was often called upon to give testimony in Criminal and Civil Courts as an expert in the determination of the cause and origin of fires and lectured at universities across the country.

Ernie was a dedicated volunteer to many organizations in the communities where he lived. He was a member of the Stanhope Fire Department, Warren County Rotary, Knowlton American Legion Post, Fire Commissioner of Blairstown Township, Captain of the Frye Island Fire Department, Officer and Chairperson of the Frye Island Zoning Board of Appeals, Frye Island Comprehensive Plan Committee member with a focus in Fire, Rescue, Police, Disaster and Emergency Planning, and an active parishioner of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Naples, Florida and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Windham, Maine.

He is survived by his wife Lorraine; daughter Beth (Naples) and husband Jay and their daughter Madelyne; daughter Jo (Mercersburg, Pennsylvania) and her husband Jason and their daughters Hadley and Elizabeth; his sister Claudia Pickett (Fort Walton Beach, Florida); his brother Charles Divine (Pottsboro, Texas), and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral Mass will take place at St. Ann Catholic Church on Thursday, May 20, 2021, at 11:00AM.

On Friday, June 11, 2021, a Memorial Gathering will take place at Morgan Funeral Home, 31 Main Street, Netcong, New Jersey, 07857. Visitation will start at 10:00AM. Remarks and remembrances will be shared between 12:00PM and 12:30PM. Following the Memorial, family and friends will proceed to Stanhope Union Cemetery, Love Lane, Stanhope, New Jersey for inurnment.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial donations to Avow Hospice, https://avowcares.org/donate-now/