Ernest “Ernie” Jurica
1943–2026

Ernest “Ernie” Jurica, 83, of Friendswood, Texas, passed away on November 4, 2026. In the end, as with most things in life, Ernie seemed to know when it was time. Echoing the words made famous by one of his favorite singers, Dolly Parton, “If I should stay, I would only be in your way. So I’ll go, but I know I’ll think of you each step of the way.”

And Ernie will certainly be thought of each step of the way by those who loved him: his wife of 62 years, Josephine Ann “Jo Ann” Jurica; his daughter, Rebecca “Becki” Rogers, and her husband, William “Bill” Rogers; his son, Charles “Chuck” Jurica and wife, Sondra; his four grandchildren, Jessica Katelynn Rogers, George Thomas Rogers, Sophie Kay Jurica, and Nolan Richard Jurica; and his extended family and many lifelong friends.

Ernie’s story began humbly in Saint John, Texas, where he was born to second-generation immigrants from Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic. His mother, Sophie Herzik Jurica, bravely delivered all nine pounds of him in the family’s two-room farmhouse. His father, Alfonse Jurica, a peanut farmer, paid the doctor for the delivery with actual peanuts. It was an appropriately memorable beginning for a man who would spend the next 83 years collecting plenty of stories of his own.

An only child, Ernie was nevertheless surrounded by cousins on both sides of the family. He began school only speaking Czech. His family later moved to El Campo, Texas, where he graduated from El Campo High School.

As fate would have it, a foxy and fair young woman named Jo Ann Ripple also graduated from the same high school that year. They had not yet met. Once they did, however, Ernie somehow managed to win her over. Exactly how remains something of a mystery to the generations that followed, but clearly, he had his ways.

Ernie and Jo Ann married and spent the next 62 years together. Not every one of those years was blissful, but every one was memorable. In later years, Ernie doted on Jo Ann, frequently enlisting their children and grandchildren to help him find just the right bouquet of flowers or the perfect sentimental gift for her.

For most of his working life, Ernie was a banker, including over a decade at Frost Bank in Webster, formerly Bay Area Bank & Trust. Banking suited Ernie well because numbers may have been part of the job, but people were his real specialty. His gift of gab helped him build lasting relationships with coworkers, customers, neighbors, and members of the community. Ernie enjoyed talking to people, and he rarely seemed to encounter a stranger who remained one for very long.

Like all of us, Ernie had his faults. To his credit, however, he also knew when it was time to change. When his first grandchild, Jessica, complained about his scratchy whiskers, Grandpa apparently took the criticism seriously and promptly shaved off his mustache. Few people could have convinced him to do it, but Jessica managed it.

Before her younger brother and cousins arrived to compete for Grandpa’s attention, Jessica and Ernie spent Saturday mornings cruising the grocery stores together in search of the week’s best deals. Ernie particularly appreciated a bargain in the meat department, and his successful expeditions frequently left both Becki’s and Chuck’s freezers considerably fuller than they had been before.

With the arrival of George, Sophie, and Nolan, Ernie’s life became fuller still, both figuratively and quite literally. His calendar filled with baseball games, livestock shows, volleyball tournaments, school award ceremonies, and the countless other events that become important simply because your grandchildren are part of them. He took great pride in watching each of them grow.

Though he rarely spoke much about it, Ernie also served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Ernie’s life was not perfect, and neither was he. But it was undeniably a life well lived. He worked hard, loved his family, learned when to change, found happiness in a good bargain, could carry on a conversation with just about anyone, and spent 62 years beside the woman he chose to share that life with. Along the way, he gave his family something that will outlast him: a lifetime of stories they will continue telling, probably with a little exaggeration, a great deal of affection, and plenty of laughter.

A memorial service celebrating Ernie’s life will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2026, at Crowder Funeral Home, 2422 E. Broadway St., Pearland, Texas. And because Ernie deserves to be sent off with more than tears, we will once again borrow a sentiment from Dolly Parton: “I think I’ll dry these useless tears and get myself together… I think I’d really rather join ’em two doors down.” In this case, it will be a little farther than two doors down.

Following the memorial service, family and friends are invited to raise a final glass to Ernie at Saloon Door West, 1231 Broadway St., Pearland, Texas 77581. So dry the tears when you can, bring a good Ernie story if you have one, and join us in raising a glass to a husband, father, grandfather, friend, banker, bargain hunter, storyteller, and thoroughly memorable man. Here’s to Ernie, and to a life very well lived.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Ernie’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to a charity of your choice.