Fred Bennik; Aerospace Engineer

Fred Bennik, an aerospace engineer and longtime San Fernando Valley resident, has died at his Woodland Hills home. He was 54.

Bennik died Friday of heart failure, said his wife, Susan Bennik.

A native of Inglewood, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in business and industrial psychology from USC, his wife said. He worked four years as a geriatric social worker, then as a systems specialist at Unisys in Camarillo, formerly System Development Corp., from 1959 to 1985, performing ground systems testing on satellites. From 1986 to 1988, he was an engineer and scientist at Science Applications International Corp. in Calabasas.

He is survived by his wife of four years; sons, Glenn Bennik of North Hollywood and Brent Bennik of Burbank; a daughter, Lisa Rose of Oakhurst, Calif., and two grandsons.

Visitation is planned from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, with a funeral to follow at 2 p.m., both at Gates, Kingsley & Gates, 6909 Canoga Ave., in Canoga Park, which is handling the arrangements. Burial is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Pacific View Cemetery in Newport Beach. Donations can be made in Bennik’s name to the American Heart Assn.