David Merewether

David Merewether

David Evan Merewether Sr was born July 7, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan with a brilliant mind, skillful hands and a heart of gold, which may explain his 13 pound birth weight. He left us on January 21, 2025.

He moved to Albuquerque in 1941 with his parents Edward and Mary Merewether, brother Edward of Placitas and his sister Eleanor (deceased). He attended Lutheran Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School and Albuquerque High School. He attended UNM as a mechanical engineering student for one year, but on a dare, enlisted in the US Marine Corps where he spent his enlistment in San Diego, California teaching electronics and radar repair to new recruits and took numerous classes at area universities. At the end of his enlistment, he returned to Albuquerque and married Torksey Ann Ensminger. Returning to UNM, he received a BA in mathematics simultaneously with his BS in electrical engineering.

Sandia Labs hired him into their Technical Development Program's work/education program where he earned his MS and PHD in electrical engineering. Teaching at UNM, he completely rewrote the text book for the electronics class he taught.

As a Sandia employee, he developed a computer program called THREDH to predict the response of airplanes, ships and equipment to the electromagnetic pulse. This program enabled him to predict airplane response to the EMP so accurately that the TRESTLE program was terminated early. Other contributions were participating in the Nevada Underground nuclear tests and co authoring the EMP Handbook.

As a small business entrepreneur, he shifted his efforts to designing shielded buildings to protect equipment from the effects of EMP. He patented a shielded door design which he built with all the associated door hardware. These doors have been installed worldwide.

After retiring from government contracting, he got his general contractor's license, mechanical, electrical, and journeyman electrical licenses and turned to the design and build of passive solar residences. His four unit townhome project won the FHA 2001 Parade of Homes award for the "Best Infill Project".

His love of classic cars led him to collect, restore and show his cars. His emphasis was on Jaguars and Model T's.

Basic to all of this was his heart of gold. He loved his three children and was so proud of them daughter Pamalee Merewether Prater (Garland); sons Kimball Olan Merewether (Shannon) and David Evan Merewether, Jr (Blanca). His seven grandchildren are Carissa (Loy) Smith; Ashlynn (Joshua) McBride; Candace (Mathew) Miller; Mark (Lauren) Merewether; Lauren (John) Schultz; Megan Merewether; and Fernando Maldanado. His 37 great grandchildren always thrilled him. He was guardian to three teen aged boys throughout their high school years Dan Merewether, Josh Linn and Caleb Frazier. He supported many relatives and employees financially, educationally and professionally.

He was preceded in death by his parents Edward and Mary, and sisters Dorothy and Eleanor. He is survived by his brother Edward and his wife/assistant of 66 years Torksey Ann Merewether.

Please help us say goodbye at French Funerals, 7121 Wyoming NE at 10:00 am on January 31, 2025. Visitation will be at French's on January 30, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm. Flowers are pretty and comforting but please consider making comemerative donations to a charity of your choice.