Ernest Max

Dr. Ernest Max, 86, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, in Houston, TX. Ernest was born on March 30, 1936, in Vienna, Austria, to the late Fritz and Rosa Max. Ernest was a Holocaust survivor. He and his parents fled Austria and emigrated to La Paz, Bolivia, in 1939, where his family established a successful baked goods business. He left home to study medicine in Santiago, graduating from the University of Chile. There, he met Silvia and swept her off her feet by taking her out flying on one of their early dates. Ernest often said he was more proud of his pilot's license than his medical license. Silvia and Ernest were married in Santiago in 1964. They had two children in Chile and moved to the U.S. in 1971, eventually settling in Houston. Ernest was a founding partner and CEO of the Colon and Rectal Clinic, which became one of the largest medical practices of its kind in the U.S. He taught for several years at Baylor College of Medicine and, recently, was President of the Harris County Medical Society's Retired Physicians Organization. Eager to support his son's passions when he was young, Ernest took Oliver to the "Star Trek Experience" in Las Vegas, where the pair rode a make-believe transporter together. Ernest was a rapid adopter of new technology and frequently called his daughter, Yvette, for tech support to make sure he was installing the latest software correctly. Ernest and Silvia always found time to travel the world, including trips earlier this year to Israel, Greece, Belgium, and Holland. He was an avid photographer and entertained his family with elaborate post-travel home movies that included customized soundtracks. Passover was always a cherished event for Ernest, his family, and friends. It was also an opportunity for Ernest to infuse the celebration with creative musical orchestration and humor. Ernest's pride and joy was his family : his loving wife of 58 years, Silvia, his daughter Yvette Pintar and husband Peter, his son Oliver Max and wife Alisa, grandchildren Noah, Ethan, Stella and Brandon, and numerous extended family. The family requests that any donations be made to Holocaust Museum Houston, 5401 Caroline St., Houston, TX 77004. https://hmh.org/give/ A memorial service was held at Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 N. Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096 on Sunday, October 2, 2022.

Ernest Max

March 30, 1936 - September 27, 2022