Douglas Warren Ernie

Douglas Warren Ernie left this world surrounded by his loving family and the musical stylings of Billy Joel and Neil Diamond on November 29, 2025. During his life, Doug was a steadfast source of joy, humor, and calm. His love of life, learning, science, and family was felt by all of us.

Doug was born on May 14, 1952 in Jamestown, and raised on his family homestead in Wimbledon, North Dakota. From an early age, he loved exploring and experimenting, hunting and fishing.

Always up for an adventure, life found Doug portaging the Boundary Waters with his wife, moose hunting in the wilds of Alaska with his dad and friends, and collaboratively researching in Japan. He guest rode the winning vessel of America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2000, drove through the forest of no return in the UP, hiked Lake Louise in Banff and Mills Lake in Colorado, and led engineering students in Kenya in 2015.

Doug was passionate about plasma and electrical engineering. He was a professor at the University of Minnesota for over 40 years, a Morse-Alumni Distinguished University Teacher, and recipient of the national 2021 Joseph M. Biedenbach Distinguished Service award. He was director of UNITE Distributed Learning and co-director of the MAST Laboratory. He also devoted 16 years to two NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates via summer programs focused on supporting the many talents of women and diverse students in STEM. He was particularly proud of collaborating with students to revitalize the UMN chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, which remains active today.

In his recent years, Doug enjoyed skipping rocks along Lake Superior’s northern shore, attending Timberwolves games and WWE events with his sons-in-law, and attending concerts from Neil Diamond and Paul McCartney to LL Cool J, Ice Cube, and Public Enemy. He was a lover of family pool days, movies, desserts, and game nights.

Doug was preceded in death by his parents, Warren and Ruby Ernie, and his granddaughter, Addy Campbell.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of over 50 years, Kathy Ernie; his daughters and sons-in-law, Jenny and Ryan Ernie-Steighner, and Debbie and Matt Campbell; and his grandchildren, Noelle and Silas Campbell; as well as many extended family and lifelong friends.

A public Celebration of Life event will be held January 24 at 11 a.m. at University Hall in the UMN McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis, MN.  Directions and parking information to UMN McNamara Alumni Center, click here

His burial will take place on June 13 at the Prairie View Cemetery in Wimbledon, North Dakota at 11 a.m., followed by a public social gathering at noon at St. John’s United Methodist Church.

Doug’s family requests that memorial donations be made to the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, click here to visit their web page.