"Greetings!" I use that salutation often...I wonder if it's because of Kurt. As it is, I can't see a Volkswagen without associating it with him. And I was recently thinking about him, as I finally got a massage chair of my very own; *nowhere* near as great as his Brookstone-like one, which has been the marker to which all other chairs has been rated, in my mind. And this year, as I was reminded of the joys of the holiday season as seen through a child's eyes, watching Rankin/Bass specials brought back immediate thoughts of watching them with Kurt.

Although it has been years since our days at QC, Kurt will forever live in my memory...now, as a mythical figure. A gentle giant. A sensitive and caring man. A listener. A person of great comfort with a boisterous laugh and an infallible spirit. I've never met anyone quite like him. All the testimonials on this site are true.

"Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa [Klaus]." Rest in sweet peace, my friend. We may have been distanced by time on this earth, but know that you made a lasting impression on the hearts of many.


It's been a bit over three weeks now, and it's the wound is still fresh. You were a great friend and the most encouraging person I've ever met. To be honest, it's extraordinarily difficult to carry on our work without you. We mention you almost every time we talk, and we're all having the same struggle with you being gone. Tough part is knowing you'd very much want the work to continue, and I think we all aim to make you proud with  that in the end. In some sense, I think we were doing that all along when you were still here too. Making you happy was admittedly a very easy meta-game, but one that we loved to play. You were very motivating in your positivity, and you're just SO missed. 

Fare the well, dear Kurt!
See you again one day...

Your cousin Konrad from Austria

Although we only met once in our lifetime, I still remember you, after 30 years, as a sunny boy. In this sad moment our thoughts are with all of our family in San Diego. Silvia, Alex, Ingrid and Wilhelm Untch (Germany). RIP Kurt.

Dear Kurt,
we will always remember you.
Rest in peace!

Your friends and relatives from Austria,
Juci, Helene, Herbert and families

We sure enjoyed Kurt & Beatriz’s visit to Hat Island in Washington.   Here’s a fun photo of this beautiful couple with their cousins John and Alice. RIP Kurt!

In 1990, when I convinced him to drive us to a ren faire in Clovis, Ca

You were grand, and robust Sir. Sometimes over the top and in your face but only a few times in the over 30 years we walked together did you ever get really angry. You were a gentleman and a scholar- self made i might add. I remember visiting you at the noc in Qualcomm back in 1994 and seeing Java and mosaic for the first time. The beginning of the rest of my professional career and you helped show us that it was a thing. 

You shared celebrations and condolences with me you stood side by side through rough and tumbly and good bliss. 

Looking back to pun battles and game nights it was fantastic. I only wish we would have gotten to travel to europe together and see the castles you told me about from your youth. 

Every time I make french toast and taste cilantro I'll think of you. Koit! The golden cougar at rest. 

Love you brother.

Joe

Kurt,

I have to speak to you like you are here because I refuse to believe that I will not be able to see you again.  So I will simply "talk" to you and simply allow anyone else to overhear our conversation. 

At KWC, just after the merger, I asked you to help me understand GV....and you spent an hour of your time with me every other Friday for 6 months and that knowledge you shared with me changed the trajectory of my career FOREVER. I soaked all the information in, our NFS setup,  Solaris, SVN, Storage, Email relays, dump files, DB services. All of these topics you shared it simply because I asked for the help and you gave it freely and now nearly 20 years later I have been blessed. 

That is you my man, helping people, doing right by people, no matter where they came from, no matter the circumstances you were always willing to be available. 

I got to see you and meet your remarkable soul mate together at Outback Steakhouse and the laugh , the deep laugh and the smile that can disarm anyone.  I bet you still have those postcards I sent you from Italy and France. 

Never stop looking at the beauty in the world Kurt! Drop a little something from above to remind all of us just how capable we actually are and how beautiful the world really is because sometimes I forget man...sometimes I just need to be reminded. Sometimes we all do. 

And nope, I'm not saying goodbye....I'll say that I'll see you later KurtDOG!!


Kurt, I’m so glad we got to travel to Australia and meet SO many of our cousins at the reunion.  We had such a lovely tour of the Great Ocean Road, and the Penguin Parade.  I know we both enjoyed all the animals in the Land Down Under.  Tasmanian Devils and their amazing life cycles, echidnas and platypus and the wombats—the only animal with square poop!  LOL.  You took so many pictures!  I loved seeing the delight on your face.  The eco-resort with water dragons the size of a cat was so interesting as was Lady Musgrave island.  The highlight was the zoo, where we were all delighted to hold a precious koala.  I had such high hopes that we could travel together again when this Corona was over, but it’s not to be.  Happy trails to you, dear, sweet cousin.  Until we meet again.  Love, Alice

Kurt was the epitome of gentleness and he was larger than life in every way.  He was one of those souls who was kind to everyone he ever came across. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and would always be there to lift you up, no matter what was going on in your life. He was always genuine in everything he said and did and never had a bad word to say about anyone. My conversations with him were always enjoyable, I exited each one feeling better about myself and the world in general - he had that kind of impact on me. Though I always kept it to myself, Kurt inspired me to be a better and kinder human being and this is something I will never forget. He was the kind of person we should all aspire to become and I only hope that some day I can inspire others the way he inspired me. Kurt, I love you brother, and I'll see you on the other side. Rest easy, my friend.

I was maybe 17 or 18 when I first met Kurt, and thus have known him for at least 30 years. He had the brightest personality, so sweet, friendly, caring, and willing to do anything for anyone.  His sense of humor always gave me a smile. The world is losing a great person and we are losing a great friend. I haven’t seen him since 2011 because I live in Texas, but we have kept in touch through Facebook. I will miss your loving heart, your wonderful sense of humor, and just you all together. RIP Kurt. Until we meet again. ❤️❤️

I can't remember if I first met Kurt at the Q or if it was just hanging out with a bunch of folk from the Q but we were friends for a long time (23 years???).  There was a time in my life where I was working with him during the week and getting together for fun outside of work pretty frequently on the weekends.  Those were some of the best years of my life.  So glad to have known and shared many good times with Kurt.  I'm a better person for having known you.


I think I first met Kurt with the Cadieux twins at a Renaissance Fair when I first came to visit Kim. We arrived quite late on that road trip, and I had never been to a Renaissance Fair, never mind that I had never even heard of the concept in Canada where I am from. This was about 22 years ago. 

But to be honest, Kurt was the friend you think about in the quiet times when you’re alone with your thoughts. He liked a road trip just as much as we did. In fact he came with us and my sister all over California once. He also met us when he was on a road trip and our paths crossed in Monterey Bay. 

We have so many pictures of stuff we’ve done for the past 20 or so years, it’s hard to find them all. 

Anyone that really knew him, knew his huge booming deep laugh, it was such a comfort! He was the greatest listener ever, and one of the most compassionate people telling the greatest tales of trips. 

This pandemic summer has really made us all quite crazy, so I decided to buy an Espresso Maker for the sole purpose of enticing Kurt to come hang out on our front lawn of course, planning for the 6 feet apart. I sent him a hint by showing him the top of the box, and he guessed it was an Espresso maker immediately. 

But I knew when I bought it, he might not have time soon because his soulmate, Beatriz was quite sick with pancreatic cancer, and he was working full time and trying to be by her side which was a lot to juggle. I so worried about him when he mentioned he was sick and coughing, I so worried he was overly tired and not able to rest enough. But honestly that’s Kurt, giving everything of himself to anyone but himself. And I know he did it for the right reasons, and I know he did it for the right person, I also know he would want us to do that for him. 

Every road trip I ever went on, he would like every single picture I took. And I did the same with his. 

Until we meet again, Large Specimen, I know you will boom “GREETINGS!” 😍⭐️🤩 



I first met Kurt socially when my house mate began working at Qualcomm in the early nineties. He was a familiar face when I joined Qualcomm myself and I would later work with him again at Kyocera Wireless.  After I moved to the Bay Area, I always made it a point to check in with Kurt and have dinner and a beer when I travelled back to San Diego. No matter how the day had gone, spending time with Kurt always recharged me.  His laugh and joyful demeanor put me at ease and we would trade puns, tech talk, general geekery, and personal observations late into the evening. He was one of the most trustworthy, patient,  and compassionate souls I have ever met.  The light on earth is lessened by his passing, but the stars shine brighter with him in their company, dancing with his laughter. 

You will be sorely missed, Kurt, but your memory will always bring a smile. I am a better person for having known you. 

Kurt was an extraordinary person, he had a big presence, he had a large laugh, and he had a huge heart. He was one of the people who always challenged me to be a good worker and helped me to define my work ethic, he taught me a lot about the possibilities of technology and was always excited about new things, He shared many an adventure with me and together we explored places near and far, both physical and virtual. 
I'm still processing what a world without Kurt will be like, he would want us all to remember him by sharing humor, love, art, beauty, and fun. Play games, enjoy comics, watch movies, love technology. My only regret for the future is that you won't get to see all of the cool things coming, but I know you'd be excited. May his memory continue to inspire us in our kindness and generosity.

I will never forget the laughter he shared, and caused. My heart goes out to all of you who know and love Kurt.  

Kurt and I worked together for years on Pantheon. When I met him for the first time in person, I was left inspired by his genuine, caring soul. His eyes told the whole story - such a kind and loving person and you only needed to look at him to see it. It was moving, and so incredibly rare.

Thank you, Kurt, for that opportunity. And thank you for everything you have done for the company, the community and for the friendships. 

The world needs a lot more Kurts in these days, so this loss is deeply tragic. But I feel like the world is also a bit brighter because of his time here.

I worked with Kurt the last few years and not only was he a great manager but was also a great friend.  His optimism and enthusiasm in all situations never ceased to amaze me.  When you started a call with him and you heard his famous "Greetings" you knew if was real.  He was always engaged and interested in speaking with you and was always willing to help you out with anything you needed.  Kurt you are inspiration on not only how to treat others professionally, but also personally.   You will be greatly missed my friend.

So many memories.  From games, camping, adventures, movies, everything.  Will miss you my friend.  

The world is diminished with the loss of Kurt. As others have said, i have a lot if not most, of my professional career because of his kindness, willingness to mentor, and general friendship. 26 years ago Kurt and Paul reached out to me to tell me about an opportunity they thought i would be a good fit for. I am still with that company today. Kurt was also the motivation for my one department change at the company that over the years fostered my transition from an entry level tape swapping operator to the sole subject matter expert for my platform. Thank you for everything Kurt. I can’t at all believe i am writing this. deepest sympathies for his close family and friends. Especially in my thoughts today is B for whom he was the rock during her most trying times.

I met Kurt many years before I knew I did. He liked to remind me of that fact. The last 3 years, I was blessed to not only work with Kurt but to call him a friend. Through our long talks, we found a kinship in our similar work backgrounds and the way we approached people and their issues. He had an astounding amount of empathy and that was something that amazed me. When we lost a mutual friend last year, he was there to help me put things together again and continue on.  While a great listener, he was also someone with sound advice and intriguing stories if you took the time to hear. I look at my calendar and see all of my work meetings have him as a participant and realize how much of an impact he had on me daily. I will miss his smile and his laugh.  I will miss hearing him say "Greetings" each time we talked.
I pray for his family and friends and will always remember how fondly he spoke of his trip to Australia and New Zealand.
I miss you, buddy.

Kurt has been a joyous part of my life, and will be missed. Although his last chapters have been written, there will always be the book of all the joy and wonder he was brought and inspired. He was a great reminder to me of what it means to spend time with friends and family. He helped me remember the simple joy of zoo walks and nature walks, and was a great confidant and friend.

I had the pleasure of working with Kurt for the last several years. He was a wonderful human being and things just won’t be the same without him. I am praying for his family and friends, during this time of great loss. 

I am struggling to put this into words, it's so sudden and so heartbreaking. Kurt was an amazing person and our world is lessened without him in it.  He will be forever in our hearts. 

Kurt was always a very happy cheerful guy.  It’s hard to believe that we have to continue without him. He was a funny guy and always good for a big laugh. I will remember him and think of him for the great guy he was.  I am so sorry for his loss and my heart goes out to his family and  his friends. 

Kurt was my mentor, a great guy with a booming laugh that got the whole room smiling. Without Kurt I would have not pursued my career. Without Kurt I would have missed out on so much knowledge taught me so gently. My deepest condolences to those who’ve known and now must mourn his passing. 

One of my favorite people.  I have so many memories.   Racing you through San carlos at 2am is one that stands out.

I'll always miss you

I had the pleasure and honor of working with Kurt for the last several years. He was a gentle force of encouragement, always steady and always willing to help. I am thankful for the chance to know him and we will miss him greatly.

Kurt was such a  lovely, intelligent, witty, thoughtful soul.  I'll miss speaking German with him on social media and cracking really bad puns. I'll miss seeing pictures of his walks in Penasquitos and hearing of cruises in his beloved car.  His laugh alone made the world a nicer place.  Kurt will be missed.  xx

I am so sorry, Kurt was such a sweet guy, I am honored to have known him for all of these years.  His loss will be felt by everyone he touched for years to come.

I have had the honor of meeting Kurt during a yearly meetup with mutual friends. He was a gentle giant with a kind soul and a warm smile.
It is devastating to hear the world has to keep on going without him in it. It was better off with him in it. 
 

Kurt and I worked together at Qualcomm for several years and he was a blessing to be around.  What I remember about him most was his kindness and all the laughs we had. He made work fun for everyone around him.  I’m in shock to hear he was taken from us so early.  My deepest condolences  to all who knew and loved him.   

OBITUARY

Kurt Franz Habetler

September 13, 1970 – November 20, 2020

El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Valley & Memorial Park

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