Ernest Lothar Lang, 86, of Springfield, Illinois, died on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at his residence in Springfield. Ernie was born March 19, 1931, in Suhl, Germany, the son of Harry Lang and Ilse (Krause) Lang. Harry, Ilse and Ernie were the only members of the Lang family who survived the Holocaust. In 1939, Ilse and Ernie moved to Shanghai, China, where they spent 10 years awaiting their immigration papers to come to the United States of America. They arrived in San Francisco in February 1948. Shortly after, they were assigned to the Midwest. He married Virginia Meadors in 1952, and they had three children. Ernie was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, 108th Bomb Squadron, and served in the Korean War. He owned and operated Springfield Real Estate Co. for many years and was very involved in the Illinois Realtor Association. Following his years in real estate, Ernie transitioned to the healthcare software industry as an owner of CareDM and Healthcare Informatics Inc., a reseller of The Medical Manager. Throughout his entire life, Ernie had an entrepreneurial spirit. He was always open-minded and eager to listen to everyone's story, which gave him the opportunity to make friends all over the world. He later married Esther Lausen-Lang on April 20, 1986, in Springfield. Ernie had an adventurous spirit that included everything from water sports to snow skiing, and was happiest when traveling abroad. He was always known to be the life of the party, did not know a stranger, and was well-loved. Ernie is survived by his wife, Esther, of Springfield; two sons, Robert (wife, Sandra) Lang and John (wife, Beth) Lang, both of Springfield; one daughter, Karen Myers, of Iowa City, Iowa; one stepson, Dr. Harald Lausen, of Springfield; nine grandchildren; one great-grandson; and a sister-in-law, Vera Lausen Humphrey, of Springfield. He was preceded in death by his parents and his grandson Aaron. Private graveside services with military honors were held at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield on Friday, May 12, 2017. In lieu of flowers, memorials honoring Ernie may be made to the Blinded Veterans Association, 125 N. West St., Third Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 or to the Animal Protective League, 1001 Taintor Road, Springfield, IL 62702. Curry Funeral Home in Pawnee is serving the family of Ernie Lang.