Man, this sucks. I worked with Ernie over a decade ago, maybe 15 years at this point, and that mofo helped me out by making sure I got to work during a time I didn't have reliable transportation. He was a tow truck driver when I initially met him, but due to health reasons, he moved to the call center to remain employed. I have done some IT work for his dad, and his brother has done some tattoo work for me, but Ernie was in a class of his own. The guy you least expected to be an artist was super skilled in anything he decided to be artistic in.
It kind of upsets me off that his name randomly went through my mind today only to find out he passed away just a few weeks ago. Had I known sooner, I would have paid my regards in person to his family.