Ernie Petit, 87, of Rockford, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, June 19, 2022 at Swedish American Hospital in Rockford, IL. He was born on July 20, 1934 in Woonsocket, RI, to the late Adelard and Lenora (Dufresne) Petit. He proudly served his country in The United States Air Force during The Korean Conflict. Ernie was an active member of the Rock Valley Flyers Club, volunteering at Midway Village Museum and helping displaced families in need of assistance with St. James Catholic Church in Rockford, Illinois. He enjoyed boating with family & friends. His eye for restoring older homes in Rockford and Galena kept his hands busy along with active community neighborhood projects. More recently, his long membership with the Rock Valley Flyers, kept his spirits flying high. Ernie is loved and will be deeply missed by his sons, Michael "Shay" (Terri) Petit, John "Todd" Petit; daughters, Sherry (Jeffrey) Norberg, Terri (Garret) Maurer, Chanda Petit; grandchildren, Jacqueline Norberg, Courtney Petit, Jacob Warren, Zachary Maurer. He was preceded in death by his parents. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Midway Village Museum in Rockford, IL in Ernie’s name.