Ernest L. Martin , a lifelong resident of Newport News and Hampton, Virginia was born on Monday, November 3, 1952 and passed away on Monday, September 15, 2025 surrounded by family.  He is a member of the Huntington High School Class of 1971 and retired after 43 years of service to the Newport News Shipyard as a Master Shipbuilder.

Ernest was preceded in death by his parents, Eula Hawkins Harrison and William "Bae" Harrison; grandmother, Lucille Kearney Hawkins, his sister, Jackie Haynes; and his brother, Kenneth Martin.

He is survived by his children, LaTrese Martin and Ernest Martin Jr., and their mother, Valerie Lynch; his grandchildren, Taya, and her father Will, Jada, Ernest III, Ervin, Maya, and Aliyah, and their mother Shemeka; his siblings, Derwin Harrison (Annette) and Iris Booker (Eric), his nieces and nephews, Stephenie Martin and Mareshah Dickens, Kim Tillery and Kenneth Pressley, Derwin Harrison Jr. and Marian Harrison, Nicholas Nagovich and Zhanée Booker, and great-nieces and great-nephews.  He is also survived by several other nieces and nephews, family members, and extended family. He also leaves behind dear friends from his childhood, lasting friendships from work, and those he met along the way.

He will be remembered for his love of family, his quick wit, and his steady presence in the lives of those who knew him.  Ernest had a way of lightening the room with his jokes and laughter, bringing joy wherever he went.  He will be remembered most as a man of his word, his skilled craftsmanship and hard work, his willingness to unconditionally help others, and above all, his deeply rooted and unwavering love for his children and grandchildren.  He will be missed beyond words.

A gathering for friends and family will be held from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 22, 2025 at Cooke Bros. Funeral Chapel.  A graveside service will be held 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at Hampton Memorial Gardens.