Daniel Hachigian
Nov. 15, 1961-Jan. 26, 2026
Woodside, California

Daniel Hachigian—beloved husband of Martina, devoted father of Jakob, Greta, Lemons, and Oliver, a valued member of the Woodside, California community, and a lifelong friend and mentor to many—passed unexpectedly in his sleep on January 26, 2026.

Daniel was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Alexander and Margaret Hachigian and lived there throughout his teenage years. As a Boy Scout in Troop 444, he earned the rank of Life Scout and became a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow. At Sandia High School, he discovered a lifelong passion for computer programming, taking advanced coursework through the Career Enrichment Center. A gifted speaker and debater, Daniel qualified in Lincoln-Douglas debate for the National Forensic League National Tournament in Dallas, Texas.

Daniel graduated from SHS in 1979 and earned his degree from New Mexico Tech in 1983, where he competed in the ACM National Computer Programming Contest. He later moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, to earn a Master of Science in Computer Science from Purdue University. After graduate school, he famously bicycled across the country from Boston, Massachusetts, to San Francisco, California.

As a child, Daniel took piano lessons and could play his favorite song, “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.” Though he never mastered an instrument, his early exposure to music deepened his appreciation for the musical talents of his wife, Martina—a flutist and cellist—and for the role music played in his children’s lives.

Some of Daniel’s most treasured experiences included scuba diving locally and internationally, skydiving lessons, snow and water skiing, playing backgammon, witnessing a full solar eclipse, traveling to national parks with extended family, and a recent trip to Disneyland.

Daniel was deeply committed to hiking, often going out daily and almost always wearing his trusty CamelBak. He regularly visited Wunderlich Park in the Woodside foothills, favoring the Alambique Trail up to Skyline. He marked the end of each climb by stepping onto the same tree root every time. His favorite trail to run down was the Chinquapin Trail at Huddart Park—not too steep and winding along peaceful ravines.

In California, Daniel met and married Martina Kreutzer, a physician specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Together, they built a life centered on their young family of four children, whom they adored and whose accomplishments filled them with pride.

Daniel spent more than 35 years in the Bay Area building a distinguished career in computer science. He joined Hewlett-Packard in 1987 and later Silicon Graphics, Inc., where he specialized in software supporting complex three-dimensional visualization. He went on to work at Juniper Networks from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s. When Martina was diagnosed with cancer, Daniel stepped away from his career to care for his family, remaining devoted to her as her cancer progressed, with her passing in 2010. He retired in 2012 following additional work at Redcoat Cybersecurity.

In his later years, Daniel devoted himself to his family and was an active presence at Woodside Elementary and Middle School, regularly participating in school events and supporting his children’s activities.

Daniel was preceded in death by his wife, Martina Kreutzer; his parents, Alexander and Margaret Hachigian; and his mother-in-law, Renate Kreutzer. He is survived by his children, Jakob, Greta, Lemons, and Oliver; his brothers, Michael and his wife Terri Hachigian of Boise, Idaho, and David and his wife Nanette Domenici Hachigian of Richland, Washington; his nieces and nephew, Timothy, Shannon, and Madison; his father-in-law, Heinz Kreutzer of Seattle, Washington, and his three sons and their children; and his former sister-in-law, Euna Joo of the San Francisco Bay Area, and her family.

Daniel’s family wishes to express sincere gratitude to his trusted friends, the Krikorian-Burkham and Butler families, for their constant support, as well as to the Woodside community for its steadfast care and kindness.