Judith Love Cohen was a Registered Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of California. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering from the University of Southern California. Judy worked for several local aerospace companies on NASA projects and her engineering career included roles on the teams that created the guidance computer system for the Minuteman missile, the Abort-Guidance System in the Lunar Excursion Module for the Apollo space program, the ground system for the Tracking Data and Relay Satellite System and others. Judy considered her work on the Apollo program to be the highlight of her career and it was the Abort-Guidance System that brought the Apollo 13 astronauts home safely. She finished her engineering career as the lead engineer for the Science Operations Ground System of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Judy was active in various professional societies and held offices in the Society of Women Engineers and the Los Angeles Technical Societies Council. Judith has received numerous awards and recognitions such as the Outstanding Engineer Award from the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering, and the Distinguished Literary Contributions Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for her “lifetime of dedication to journalistic STEM education for young women”. Judy has also been a biographee in Who’s Who in the West, and Who’s Who in America Women.
Finally, Judy was an active writer for a monthly column for the Engineer of California Magazine and then as a playwright of “A Passover to Remember” produced in Los Angeles. Judy retired from engineering in the early 1990’s, and founded a children’s book publishing company with her husband, David Katz, called Cascade Pass. Her first book, “You can Be A Woman Engineer” was written to courage young girls to consider a future career in engineering. Judy went on to author a series of career books to encourage girls in the fields of engineering and science. Judy sold more than 100,000 copies of her books and in doing so, she has inspired tens of thousands of young girls to become interested in professional careers in engineering and science.
Judy is survived by her husband of 35 years, David Katz, and her children, Rachel Siegel, Neil Siegel and Thomas Black and her three grandchildren, Sonya Siegel-Chanen, Sammy Black and Tommy Black.
Arrangements under the direction of Groman Eden Mortuary, Mission Hills, CA.
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