Louis Carl Erste

Louis C. Erste, 82, of Naples, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on October 6, 2018.  Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of the late Louis and Rose Erste.  Louis was survived by his steadfast and loyal wife of 62 years, Betty (Ross) Erste.  He was a loving father to Lou, Betty, Ann, Mark, John, Matt, Rose, Dave, Grace, Becky, and Joe Erste.  He was a doting grandfather to 34 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

In 1967 Lou founded Fine Line Design, a company that made electrical connector parts for the automotive industry, in Cleveland, Ohio.  The original company was little more than a drafting table and file cabinet in the corner of his basement.  From there, the fledgling business expanded to a series of small storefront offices before moving on to a large design and manufacturing facility in Brecksville, Ohio.  In 1974, the company merged with Interlock Corporation and eventually became the second largest connector company in the world.

There will be a viewing at Fuller Funeral Home (1625 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples, FL 34109) on Thursday, October 11, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The Funeral will be at St. Agnes Catholic Church on Friday, October 12, at 11:00 a.m.  Louis will be interred at a later date.  In lieu of flowers and donations, the family requests contributions be sent to The Grace Center Foundation, www.gracecenterfoundation.com, P.O. Box 112692, Naples, FL, 34108.