Joan Czerniejewski Sherman
Born on February 13, 1932 in Chicago, IllinoisPassed March 24, 2025, in Palm Bay, Florida
Joan Czerniejewski Sherman, 93, passed away on Monday, March 24th of natural causes.
She was born Joan Esther Czerniejewski on February 13, 1932 to Peter & Amelia Czerniejewski of Chicago, Illinois. The oldest of three children, Joan excelled in school, graduating Tuley High School in Chicago, Illinois as class Valedictorian in 1949. From there she attended Northwestern University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1953. In 1972, while employed full-time at Harris Semiconductor and teaching evening classes at Florida Institute of Technology, she furthered her academic resume by earning a Master of Science degree in Oceanography from Florida Tech.
After receiving her Northwestern degree, Joan’s first professional position was as research chemist in fluoridation for the City of Chicago. She then worked for Universal Oil Producers of Des Plaines, Illinois as a refining research chemical engineer where she developed petroleum catalytic processes used in determining gasoline octane ratings.
Following a move to Florida, Joan joined RCA Services Company, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida as a chemist in 1959. There she performed chemical analysis of photographic processes used in the films of the first space capsule and missile launches. She helped refine chemical processes to extend the exposure capabilities for orbital flight films, procedures still in use by the aerospace industry. While working at Patrick Air Force Base, she met Charles Sherman, an RCA technician working on orbital flight films coming from the Mercury and Gemini space programs. He would become her husband and loving father to children Kimberly, Bernard, and Christopher.
While at RCA, Joan also met Dr. Jerome Keuper, a physicist who would go on to become founder and first President of Brevard Engingeering College (BEC), now known as Florida Tech. BEC was born as a night school to teach science and math to workers needed for the burgeoning space program. Joan began teaching night classes there in both chemistry and mathematics, and she found a love and proclivity for teaching which she would continue to do throughout much of her professional career.
In 1963, Joan heard of an opening for a chemist at Radiation Inc., a small electronics company in Melbourne, Florida. She was originally turned down for a position as the company wanted a male chemist, but ultimately she became the first professional woman hired by Radiation. The company would later become Harris Semiconductor, then Harris Corporation, as is now known as L3Harris.
Joan rose from that first position to be placed in charge of Harris Semiconductor Division’s Photoresist Research Laboratory. During her long career with Harris, she held several patents in the photoresist purification and etch formulation processes for semiconductor development.
From there, Joan was promoted to lead quality control & assurance manager and traveled frequently to Japan and Malaysia in that capacity. She would remain with Harris Semiconductor for the rest of her career, a tenure of 40 years from 1963 to 2003.
Joan was involved in her civic and professional communities. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Honorary for Women Teachers and president of its Brevard County chapter from 1968-70. She was also a member of the American Society of Quality Control Professionals and member of the Brevard Community College Quality Program Update & Improvement Team from 1997-98. Her professional awards included the Space Coast Outstanding Woman Engineer of the Year in 1994 and Senior Member Status for the American Society for Quality Control in 1997. After retirement, Joan became active in the Indialantic Heritage Society, an organization committed to preserving the history and landmarks of the city. Indialantic honored her with “Joan Sherman Day” in 2022, celebrating her contributions and 60th anniversary as a prominent resident.
Joan was a pioneer for professional women and women engineers throughout her entire career leaving behind a legacy at Florida Tech and L3 Harris. She will be missed but never forgotten.
She is survived by her three children Kimberly Susan Hartley (John) of Huntsville, Alabama, Bernard Craig Sherman (Martina) of Naples, Florida and Christopher Charles Sherman (Gina) of Melbourne, Florida. She has five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and sister Roberta Amelia Oliver of Sylvester, Georgia.
She was predeceased by her husband Charles William Sherman, her parents Peter and Amelia Czerniejewski and her brother Conrad Peter Czerniejewski.
Calling hours will be Friday June 6th from 5pm-7pm at Brownlie – Maxwell Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated the next day Saturday June 7th at 10am at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Florida Memorial Gardens next to her husband Charles.
Anyone wishing to make an expression of sympathy is asked to consider Brevard County Humaine Society, or the Hospice Of St. Francis
