Margaret Sommer Sazani of Lompoc, CA, passed away on September 15, 2022, at the age of 67, after a two year battle with lung cancer.

Margaret was born on May 18, 1955, to David and Cather ine Sommer in Madison, Wisconsin. She was one of eight siblings, with five older brothers, and one younger brother and sister. She graduated from Edgewood High School in 1973 and studied Computer Science at UW Madison before dropping out to move to California (though she eventually came back to finish!).

In California, Margaret eventually joined the United States Air Force's Space Shuttle Project as a software Engineer for the Record & Playback System with Honeywell Data Systems at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). Margaret was then hired as a Project Engineer at the Aerospace Corporation's Corporate Offices in El Segundo, CA. After a short period, Margaret transferred to Aerospace's Space Lift Program Office, returning to VAFB where she envisioned, developed and created STARS Systems, supporting National Security Space Launches for thirty-seven years before retiring in 2018.

In 1988, Margaret met George Sazani in Lompoc. They married and raised four children: Daniel, Patricia, Nicholas, and Celeste. Margaret valued competence and hard work, but perhaps not as much as she valued fun and relaxation. She enjoyed working, and then lounging, in her garden. She loved body surfing and dolphin watching in the waves of the Pacific—though part of her heart will always belong to Wisconsin, where she returned at least every other year to swim in Lake Michigan. She was affectionate and generous, with an endless capacity for silliness.

Margaret was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Charlie Sommer. She is survived by her husband, all four of her children, and six siblings.

Services will be held at Startbuck-Lind Mortuary in Lompoc on November 5, 2022, at noon. A reception will follow at Miguelito Park. For more information about the service, please visit margaretsazani.com.