Charlene Lampton

March 29, 1950 ~ July 23, 2022
Charlene Lampton, 72, of Washougal, WA, left us on Saturday, July 23, 2022, after a courageous and difficult battle with cancer and heart disease. That she fought so hard should surprise no one, as she was known by all to be strong and was determined to live her life as though she was never ill.
She passed away peacefully and went Home to be with the Lord, her parents and her dearly departed husband.
Born in Los Angeles, CA, March 29, 1950, to Elias and Irene Nasif, Charlene was an only child and enjoyed a wonderful childhood and teen years with her parents; and was blessed to have her parents live nearby during their retirement years.
She attended St. Jerome Grammar School and St. Bernard High School where she made many friends and continued those friendships during her lifetime.
She went on to study business administration. Before embarking on her career she spent three months traveling internationally.
In 1977 she met the love of her life, Mark Lampton, and they married in Palos Verdes, CA. After their marriage they relocated to Fremont, CA, where Charlene went to work for AMD (Advanced Micro Devices).
Both Charlene and Mark worked for AMD in the Bay Area of California. Charlene worked for Steve Zelencik, a corporate manager. After a quick stint with two admins, Steve needed to hire a real gun fighter, no powder puff. Steve heard that Charlene was tough, smart and could protect him from all adversaries so he hired her in 1977 and she stayed until 2003. She was truly a special person.
Charlene and Mark loved going to the beach, traveling, rock and roll music, golf, snow skiing, excellent food, fine wine, spending time with their friends; and perhaps their greatest joy came from raising their loving basset hounds: Sophie, Elwood, Jake and Bogart.
Charlene moved from Fremont, CA, into the Lookout Ridge neighborhood of Washougal in 2004 with her husband Mark shortly after retiring. Charlene was thrilled with her new home and enjoyed looking at the breathtaking view everyday as she had her morning coffee. She enjoyed the many parks and trails that the Camas/Washougal area had to offer and would often take her basset hounds (Jake, Elwood, and Bogart) for a walk at Cottonwood beach. She felt truly blessed to have retired in such a beautiful spot.
Charlene also loved to take scenic drives in her red-hot Mazda Miata, often taking in the many sights and activities that the Columbia River Gorge had to offer. She also enjoyed attending concerts (The Rolling Stones was her most recent), wine tasting, playing cards with her friends, aqua aerobics, and yoga.
Charlene will be dearly and deeply missed by her community, neighbors, friends, and loved ones.
Her big smile and exuberant laugh will never be forgotten.
Rest in Peace dear friend.