Bernard Benjamin Lampert

Dr. Bernard Benjamin “Bud” Lampert, a 26 year resident of Carlsbad, celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year. He peacefully slipped the bonds of earth with his loving wife Helen Jean by his side on the 7th of July. Bud was a pioneering solid propulsion rocket scientist for over 30 years with Aerojet Rocketdyne in Sacramento, CA.

He was born March 3, 1922 in NYC to his parents, Gussie and Elias Lampert and was preceded in death by his sister, Anne Lampert. Bud graduated from DeWitt Clinton HS in the Bronx in 1939 and joined the Civilian Conservation Corp clearing and building fire trails in Oregon before beginning his undergraduate education at University of Kansas. He volunteered service with the US Army serving as a medic with the 74th General Hospital in Great Britain from 1943-46 before returning to Lawrence, Kansas after the war to complete his undergraduate studies. He went on to pursue his doctorate in organic chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL where he met his wife, Helen Jean (Martin) Lampert and they were married in 1952.

Bud began his career as a scientist with Union Carbide in Charleston, WV and Bound Brook, NJ and then Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA before joining Aerojet in Sacramento, CA in 1958 as a solid propulsion rocket scientist. His work and numerous awarded patents contributed to development of both NASA’s civilian space program as well as many top secret military rocket motor programs at the time. However, Bud’s passion and interests amongst friends and family were focused on exploration and conservation of the natural world in terms of plants, animals and extensive world wide travel. He was an avid hiker who challenged his four children, Alexandra, Andrew, Viktoria and Nicolette to hike the many trails and waterfalls at Yosemite and as well along the American river near their family home in Carmichael.

After moving to Carlsbad, CA in retirement, Bud was often seen hiking the trails along and above the nearby Batiquitos coastal wetlands lagoon. He and his wife Helen Jean who also celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary earlier this year became avid cruise travelers throughout the world and met and maintained close relationships with fellow travelers along the way.

He is survived by four children: Alexandra (Harry) Miller, Viktoria (Jim) Shurr, Andrew (Marjorie) Lampert, and Nicolette (Mark) Sterk; eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Remembrance services and interment were held at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego on 26th of September. In remembrance, please consider making a charitable donation to support tortoises, one of Bud’s favorite endangered animals: The Turtle Conservancy in Ojai, CA @ www.turtleconservancy.org