Scott Dwight Habermehl

Scott Dwight Habermehl, of Corrales, New Mexico,  passed away on May 29^th, 2024, from injuries sustained from an accident during his morning bicycle commute.  Scott was born on December 9^th, 1960, to Dwight and Shirley Habermehl in Perry, Iowa. He grew up in the small town of Shenandoah, Iowa where his love of family and sports bloomed.  He graduated from Shenandoah High School in 1978 and then went on to study physics at Iowa State University. After earning his Bachelor of Science, he worked for a small company in Florida and then Virginia before returning to North Carolina State University to obtain his PhD in physics in 1994.  

On a blind date, he met his wife, Jamie Philpott, DVM, while working in Virginia. They were both seeking a strong and independent life partner, and they each quickly knew they had found the one. They were married on May 21^st, 1988 at her parents home in Philpott, Virginia.  After defending his doctoral dissertation, he accepted a job at Sandia National Laboratories and they relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico. There he took on the role of thin film deposition engineer, a position he retained for almost 30 years.  During his time there, he produced over 50 journal publications and 6 patents, including some of the most groundbreaking work allowing for integrated circuits and memories to become radiation hardened. These are techniques that are still used to this day for national security and space applications.  He is remembered by his colleagues as deeply committed to the science and technology that he worked on and was a mentor and friend to many of his peers. His steady guiding hand and careful attention to detail will be missed by the Sandia community that knew him and worked by his side for many decades.  He was a scholar, a mentor, and a steady influence during a time of great change for the Laboratories.

Scott loved his wife and children and was devoted to them deeply and continually.  In ways large and small, he showed his love for his family through his consistent attention and support.  He looked forward to spending time with them, riding horses with Jamie, growing his wildflower garden at the entrance to their new home, or just sitting quietly and reading side by side with her, his partner and love of his life.  Scott and Jamie welcomed their first son, Charles Loran of Albuquerque, NM, on June 21^st, 1995, and their second son, Scott Thomas of Pasadena, CA, on January 20^th, 1997.  Scott took great joy in sharing his hobbies with his sons, whether it was playing baseball in the yard, biking through the Bosque, hiking in his beloved Rocky Mountains, or skiing with them in the backcountry.  He truly marveled as they grew from babies to the strong young men they are today, and he was proud of their many achievements.  He loved them with all his heart, and it showed through in all his time with them. Not long before his passing, he built a home in Leadville, CO that had become the gathering place for family and friends where he could share his beloved Colorado mountains with all of us.

Scott was a tremendous and abiding fan of the outdoors.  He enjoyed nothing more than being in nature, in the wilds of New Mexico or Colorado, walking by a mountain stream or hiking to the high country and listening to marmot and pika chirp above tree line.  He was at his most serene at the end of a long day of hiking, when he would sit and watch sunsets from the high places of the earth, enjoying the frozen beer he carried in his backpack.  No peak was ever too great for him, and he relished the challenges of the climb. “Embrace the struggle” he used to say.  He travelled to South America to challenge one of their tallest peaks and came back to tell the tale.  In his later years, he took delight in riding his horse in the spaces around their home in Corrales.  He was a consummate outdoorsman and cared deeply for the wild spaces of the world.

He is survived by his wife, Jamie; his sons, Charles and Scott; his father, Dwight Habermehl; his siblings, Brian (Leigh) Habermehl, Diane (Robert) Addy and Cathy (Ed) Casteel; his mother in-law, Joanne G. Philpott; his sisters in-law, Laura (John) Mitchell and Patrice (Ed) Newnam; numerous nieces and nephews; and the many friends and colleagues who’s lives he touched.  

All who knew Scott also knew his intensity, his humility, and his love for life. He was dedicated to his family, his colleagues, his many dogs, cats, and horses, and to the environment. He was generous and kind to those he knew as well as those he did not. His wish for all of us was to pursue our passions and make our dreams come true.   He will forever be with us in our hearts.

To remember, honor, and celebrate Scott’s life, the family will have a gathering for friends and family in Corrales, NM on Saturday, September 21^st, 2024.  Succeeding that, the family will travel to Leadville, Colorado to release his ashes on Monday, September 23^rd. 

In addition, there will be a formal retirement ceremony for his work at Sandia National Laboratories on Friday, September 20^th, 2024. 

In the meantime, to honor his memory, his dedication to his family and friends, and his love for the outdoors, please feel free to donate to one of the following organizations, all of which Scott felt strongly about and wished to see prosper:

The Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville, CO, via the Lake County Community Fund:

Donation link: https://lakecountycf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1528&sorg_id=1199

For more information about the trail, please see https://www.mineralbelttrail.com/

Tackfully Teamed:

https://www.tackfullyteamed.com/make-a-donation

Horses for Healing:

https://www.horsesforhealingnm.org/ (please use a laptop/desktop to see this webpage)

Memorial Trees:

Please see the Daniels Family obituary webpage for information on having a memorial tree planted.

Please make the donation in memory of Scott D. Habermehl.

Cards can also be sent to the family at:       PO Box 193

                                                                     Corrales, NM 87048