Ernesto "Ernie" Antonio Torres, Jr.

Winter Park, FL – Ernesto “Ernie” Torres, 71, of Winter Park, passed away on October 30, 2024, at Oviedo Hospital. He was born on July 22, 1953, in the Bronx, New York, across from Yankee Stadium, to Angelica and Ernesto Torres Sr.

Ernie was a lighting director for WESH Channel 2 for over 40 years, and served as a professor for 20 years at the University of Central Florida. He was a three-time Emmy Award recipient. His hobbies included fishing, watching football, competing in darts, strumming the guitar, and listening to blues, rock, R&B, and jazz.

He graduated from the City University of New York (City College) and went on to attend the Institute of New Cinema Artists and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New York Chapter.

He contributed to the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, WESH’s Share Your Christmas, the Boy Scouts of America, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, always with a warm heart and smile.

Ernie is survived by his wife, Kathleen Torres; sister, Annabel Mieses; sons, Michael and Chris; eight granddaughters; one grandson; and two great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his father, Ernesto Torres Sr.; mother, Angelica Torres Vega (née); son, Ernesto S. Torres; daughter, Margarita “Maggie” Torres-Barnes (née); and son, Tracy Bradley.

A funeral to celebrate his life will be held on Wednesday, November 6th, 2024 with a visitation from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, followed by a service at 4:00 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home - Winter Park Chapel, 3806 Howell Branch Rd, Winter Park.   Friends and family are welcome to attend.

For those unable to attend, please click here to view the livestream of the service.  The livestream will be recorded and can be viewed at the same link for up to 90 days after the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

To share your memories of Ernie, or to leave a special message of condolence for his family, please visit and sign the guestbook below.