Davis Howard Hartman

Dr. Davis Howard Hartman Jr. embodied the quintessential American scientist-engineer of the late twentieth century, a man whose career bridged the worlds of fundamental cosmic ray physics and pioneering telecommunications technology. Born on December 29, 1947, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and raised in Edison, New Jersey, Davis grew up during the transformative postwar era when scientific research expanded rapidly alongside the space race and Cold War technological competition.

His family provided a foundation of warmth and intellectual curiosity. Davis shared his childhood with sisters Belva Mattos and Donna Haas, forming bonds that remained strong throughout his life. His parents, Davis and Ruth Hartman, nurtured their son's scientific interests while instilling values that would guide him throughout his remarkable career.

Davis's educational journey began at Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics. The small liberal arts college, with its emphasis on scientific education, provided an ideal environment for his undergraduate studies during the mid-1960s. He then pursued graduate training at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree specializing in cosmic ray physics. His doctoral research focused on experimental high energy physics and cosmic ray detection using the sophisticated atmospheric Cerenkov technique.

Following his PhD, Davis conducted groundbreaking postdoctoral research on space-borne cosmic ray physics utilizing the TOFFIMS (Time-of-Flight Ion Mass Spectrometer) instrument aboard the Soviet VEGA 2 spacecraft during its historic flyby of Halley's Comet in 1986. This international collaboration placed him at the forefront of cosmic ray research during one of astronomy's most anticipated events, as Halley's Comet returns only once per human lifetime.

Davis transitioned into his primary career phase at Bell Laboratories, the legendary research institution that had pioneered transistors, digital networking, and fiber-optic communications. Working as a research scientist with the Ocean Systems Research Team, he contributed to the development of intercontinental communications infrastructure, particularly focusing on undersea cable systems that enabled transoceanic telephone and data transmission. His work drew upon both his physics background and experimental methodology to advance electrooptical components for fiber-optic transmission systems.

At Motorola, where Davis spent nearly two decades, he achieved perhaps his most significant innovations. Progressing from Engineering Manager to Technical Leader and ultimately Director of Systems Technology Research, he spearheaded research initiatives that positioned him as a pioneer in optical interconnect technology. His team explored the fundamental limits of electrical interconnections in high-speed digital systems and developed practical optical alternatives that would become critical to modern telecommunications infrastructure.

One of his most notable technical achievements involved developing acrylate-based radiation-cured polymer materials for creating patterned channel optical waveguides directly on electronic substrates. This innovation addressed the critical challenge of integrating optical and electronic functions on the same substrates, enabling dense integration that would prove essential for future data center and telecommunications applications.

Throughout his Motorola years, Davis maintained his connection to fundamental science through his involvement with the Pierre Auger Project, an international collaboration studying the highest-energy cosmic rays. He served as research liaison between Nobel Prize-winning physicist James W. Cronin of the University of Chicago and Robert Galvin, former Motorola CEO, helping design a fixed wireless data collection system for the project's extensive air shower detection network spanning sixty miles in diameter.

Davis's technical contributions were formally recognized through an impressive portfolio of fifty-four patents. These patents, covering systems design, circuit design, device design, and optoelectronic packaging, represented substantial intellectual property contributions to technological advancement. He also authored more than fifty technical articles in peer-reviewed journals, three non-technical articles, and three book chapters, spanning optoelectronics, fiber optics, and particle physics.

Following Motorola, Davis continued his distinguished career at Bellcore (later Telcordia Technologies) and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, where he served as a technical staff member. He also worked as a payload architect with Orbital Sciences Corporation, applying his expertise in optical systems and space-qualified instrumentation to aerospace applications.

The obituary specifically credits Davis as "a pioneer of short-reach computer interconnects," a technological domain that has indeed become central to twenty-first-century computing infrastructure. His early recognition of the importance of optical interconnects for data transmission within and between circuit cards, system modules, and equipment racks proved remarkably prescient.

Beyond his professional achievements, Davis was devoted to his family. He married Sara Crosby, with whom he shared a long and loving partnership. Together they created a blended family that included his daughters Lara Hartman (married to Mike Kelly) and Julia Rogers (married to Eric Rogers), as well as stepchildren Michelle Crosby and Michael Wayne Crosby. Davis became grandfather to eight grandchildren: Melody and Rhapsody Kelly, Anderson and Griffin Rogers, Crosby Seidl, and Milo and Alexander Crosby.

Throughout his life, Davis maintained a distinctive personal philosophy that emphasized the primacy of human relationships over professional accomplishments. He frequently stated that "Physics is what I do, not who I am," revealing his conviction that scientific work, however important, held secondary significance to family and friendship. This wisdom guided his approach to life and work, ensuring he remained grounded despite his extraordinary professional success.

Davis was also remembered for his exceptional sense of humor and gift for wordplay. He possessed an remarkable ability to craft perfectly timed puns for virtually any occasion, a talent that endeared him to colleagues and family alike. This combination of intellectual seriousness in professional contexts with warmth and humor in social settings defined his personality throughout his life.

In his later years, Davis resided in the Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona area, where he became involved with the Church of the Red Rocks. The church, led by Reverend Dr. Guillermo Márquez-Sterling, provided a spiritual community during his final years.

Davis Howard Hartman Jr. passed away on March 24, 2026, at the age of seventy-eight. His family chose to honor his memory by establishing an endowment at the University of Arizona Foundation to provide perpetual scholarships for graduate students conducting research in particle physics. This fitting tribute reflects Davis's lifelong commitment to scientific advancement and education, ensuring that his legacy will continue to support the next generation of experimental physicists.

A memorial service and inurnment took place on May 24, 2026, at the Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona, Arizona. Davis's life exemplified the productive scientist-engineer who advanced both fundamental understanding and practical technology while maintaining deep commitment to family, friendship, and human connection. His pioneering work in optical interconnects helped lay the foundation for modern telecommunications infrastructure, while his personal philosophy and character touched all who knew him.