Carmen C. Waschek, an eighteen-year resident of Lacey, passed to God on Monday, January 13, 2020, following a heart attack. She was born in Missouri in 1932, but was raised in North Carolina. Following her graduation from Queens College, Charlotte, with a Bachelor's Degree in chemistry, she did two more years of graduate work in the field. She worked at Florida Sate University, first in the chemistry department in nuclear chemistry, and later at the University's lnstitute of Molecular Bio-physics. For many years, Carmen was an employee of the engineering department of The Coca Cola Company in Atlanta. During her years with Coca Cola, she was often sent to South America and to Europe to lecture on Ozone Effects. With a colleague, she studied and published a paper on the isomeric state of Y-90. ln Washington, D.C. the United States Environmental Agency awarded her the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award for Leadership in Global Protection.
For sixty years Carmen was married to Brownlee Waschek, a musician, composer and ethnomusicologist. Early in their marriage they lived in Masaryktown, Florida, a town founded by Czech immigrants. There, Brownlee did research on Czech folk music. While there, Carmen learned the art of preparing the traditional Czech cuisine. Later, the couple traveled to sites in Mongolia, Russia, lceland, the Czech Republic and New Guinea where Brownlee's research into folk music continued. Carmen and Brownlee Waschek co-authored two books, published by Prentice Hall. ln retirement, Carmen researched and wrote three historical novels that were published privately. The couple's collection of Czech national costumes, a gift to them from the residents of Masaryktown, is now in the National Museum of Prague. Their collection of New Guinea artifacts was donated by the couple to the Anthropology Museum of the University of South Tennessee.
Carmen is survived by her husband, Brownlee, of Lacey, and a sister in North Caroline. The couple's only son, Matej Albin Wascheck, died at the age of twenty. A viewing will be at Mills & Mills, Tumwater at 1:00 p.m. on Friday January 31, 202. The funeral service, conducted by the Rev. Paul M. Weckert, 0.S.8. will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Mills & Mills and a reception with follow. ln lieu of flowers, donations in Carmen's memory may be made to a favorite charity.
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