Trudy Ann Ernst

Trudy Ann Ernst of Tucson, Arizona and Wayland, Massachusetts died at her home in Wayland after a brief illness on July 24, 2026. Trudy was born to Victor H. and Clementine Ernst in St. Cloud, Minnesota on October 16, 1947.

Trudy said she had the childhood of a prince. She spent full summers at Big Fish Lake — swimming, spending time at the farm and riding her horse, Ginger. A product of Catholic schools, she graduated from Cathedral High School, where her writing and artistic talents were nurtured. Her poem "Alleluiah" was published nationally by Scholastic, and she received numerous honors including, ironically, runner-up for Betty Crocker's Homemaker of Tomorrow. Trudy came of age during turbulent times: a passionate protester, her picture appeared on the front page of the Chicago Daily News when she attended the Chicago Seven trial.

Trudy received her BA (cum laude) from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN in 1969, and her MA from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1970. She then moved to Berkeley — "was never a hippie because I always had a job!" — working in county social services before completing her JD from Hastings College of the Law in 1978. She first practiced at Cooley, Godward, Castro, Huddleston & Tatum in San Francisco, then moved to Goodwin Procter in Boston, where she became Partner and later Director of Knowledge Management. After retiring in 2009, Trudy put her spiritual beliefs into practice, earning her MA in Pastoral Ministry from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in 2012.

In retirement, she and her husband split their time between Tucson, Arizona and Massachusetts. No matter where she lived, Trudy always returned to the family cottage at Big Fish Lake for long stays, swimming and reconnecting with family and friends. She loved a weenie roast and Pronto Pups at the Minnesota State Fair. She was especially close to the Benedictine nuns, both as a student and later in adulthood.

During her time in Tucson, Trudy worked to support asylum-seeking families who had just crossed the border in Arizona. Her compassion, her fierce dedication, and her desire to help those families maintain dignity were inspiring. She turned her love of shopping into finding clothing for families for their journeys and took meticulous care to choose items that not only met basic needs but helped people feel good about themselves. Trudy also returned to her love of art during her retirement, avidly painting and drawing and connecting with Tucson's thriving art community and overwhelming natural beauty. Even her paintings were bright and colorful.

Trudy was an introvert who loved people and enjoyed a good laugh. She hiked throughout California, Arizona, and the Northeast. Trudy loved animals, her horse Ginger, her dogs
Bluebell, Rosebud, and Oscar, and, in her final years, her loyal Lulu. She was equally a woman of deep faith, a longtime parishioner of St. Ignatius in Chestnut Hill active in musical liturgy. Trudy and Maurice (Maury) Weinrobe became life partners in 1984 and married in 1996. Maury died suddenly in 2023, and Trudy mourned the loss deeply.

Trudy is survived by her cherished stepchildren Mark (Anne Poinier) of New Meadows, ID, and Josh (Paola Messina) of Atlanta, GA, Rebecca of Mashpee, MA, and Zoe of Watertown, MA, stepgrandchildren Emilia and David of Atlanta, GA, her sister Marguerite Mason of Weston, VT, devoted friends, and her loyal Lulu. She is also survived by her Ernst cousins Fred Ernst, Frank Ernst, Gretchen Smith, Lawrence (Kip) Gebeck, William Ernst, Mary Pat (Peter) and Betsy Ladner, and Katy (Paul) Valley.

A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, August 6th, at 10:00 AM at St. Ignatius Parish in Chestnut Hill, with a 9:30 visitation.   MASS WILL BE LIVESTREAMED   https://www.harborview.live/   A final ceremony will be held at Big Fish Lake in September.

Donations in memory of Trudy may be made to Good Shepherd Community Care in Newton, MA, Sister José Women's Center in Tucson, AZ, or Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. For directions and guestbook please visit www.lehmanreen.com 

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Trudy Ann Ernst, please visit our Tree Store.