Charlene Bembenek, analyst

Charlene L. Bembenek, 62, of Mount Laurel, who retired in 2012 as a systems analyst at Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia, died of breast cancer Friday, Sept. 12, at home.

Born in Camden, Ms. Bembenek graduated from St. Joseph's High School there in 1969, and earned a bachelor's degree in 1973 and a master's in 1975, both in English literature, at Temple University.

After teaching at a public high school in Philadelphia, she earned a bachelor's in 1985 in electrical engineering at Drexel University and that year began her career as an analyst at the space systems division of General Electric Co. in King of Prussia.

She earned a master's in electrical engineering at Drexel in 1990 and remained in her job when the GE division was acquired by Lockheed Martin in 1992.

"My sister was a rocket scientist," a brother, Garrett, said.

"Her focus was on satellites, the programming of them," he said. "She was under security clearance, so she didn't give out much information" about her job to family or friends.

Her brother recalled that her job was sensitive enough that when she began at GE, "she worked for a year before she got clearance."

Rick Hanby, a colleague at Lockheed Martin since 1999, said, "She was a wonderful person, very bright and very methodical in what she did."

"She was very well educated and I had the utmost respect for her," he said.

Ms. Bembenek owned a 20-foot power boat in Somers Point, N.J., Garrett said, because her father, Adolph, "and brothers taught her the intricacies of back bay fishing."

But fishing wasn't the only attraction.

"She took her brothers and significant other out on the boat two months before she passed away," he said. "She was disabled then, but she wanted to be on the water."

Besides her brother, Ms. Bembenek is survived by her life partner, Diane Dowd; brother Kenneth; and sister Lucille A. Kronawitter.

A viewing was set from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Mount Laurel Home for Funerals, 212 Ark Rd., with a Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 42 W. Main St., Moorestown, and interment in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Blackwood.

Donations may be sent to www.komenphiladelphia.org.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mountlaurelfuneralhome.com.