Harry Dreicer, 98, controlled thermonuclear fusion researcher and plasma physicist passed away peacefully at home on December 5th, 2025 in Santa Fe, NM. His parents, Efim and Genia Drejcer, were Russian Jews who fled the Bolshevik Revolution and made their way to Germany where he was born on October 6, 1927. At the age of ten in 1938, he and the family fled to Italy. By 1939 they had managed to settle in the USA. He became a US citizen on July 10, 1946, his entire family having been stateless since 1922. Harry married Roberta Jean Waldman on July 30, 1950 (divorced in '93). The couple had three children, Emily Sara Tylim, Victor Stephan Dreicer, and Jared Samuel Dreicer, all of whom (according to Harry) "deserve full credit for developing independent adulthoods". Harry credited Brooklyn Technical High School with the excellent education that prepared him to enter MIT and major in physics. He earned both a B.S. ('51) and a Ph.D. ('55) at MIT. While at MIT (Lincoln Laboratory) he participated in the classified Project Hartwell, related to anti-submarine warfare research. President Truman delivered a personal commendation to Project Hartwell's staff for the effort. As an MIT Research Assistant in Physics, he conducted research under Professors Sanborn Brown, William Allis, and W. P. "Woody" Strandberg. As a graduate student, in '53 he spent a summer at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory with the Physics Division group studying the toroidal plasma pinch in the "Perhapsatron" experimental magnetic fusion device. He joined LASL as a technical staff member in '54 to do basic plasma research in its controlled thermonuclear fusion group, part of Project Sherwood. In 1960-61 he was a Part time Professor of Physics at the University of New Mexico, teaching plasma physics in Los Alamos. He also lectured at summer schools in Orsay, France and Varenna, Italy. In '64 he and his family went abroad on leave with support from EURATOM for work at Frascatti's Laboratorio Gas Ionizzati (It.) and Centre de Saclay (Fr.). In 1973/74 he became a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado while maintaining his LANL Group Leader position. He returned full-time to LANL (Fall '77) accepting the division leadership of the Controlled Thermonuclear Research (CTR) Division and other LANL fusion programs, e.g., the Tritium System Test Assembly, TSTA. Under Director Hecker, he was designated a Senior Laboratory Fellow and became a Laboratory Acting Associate Director in charge of the LDRD program. He retired from LANL in 1995. Apart from intellectual pursuits, Harry loved to travel both nationally and internationally and spent many hours outdoors enjoying hiking, skiing, biking, swimming and running. He had a passion for classical music, in particular opera and would often whistle along with classical compositions. A voracious reader with an extensive (1000+) personal library, he always had a book in hand, primarily history and autobiographies. He tried to instill his love of the outdoors, travel, music, exercise and reading in his children. He provided attentive grandchild care and concern, demonstrating interest in their activities and education, always supporting their independence. His start in life as an immigrant left him with unwavering support for immigrants and diversity. In conversations, he would explore and discuss any topic, frequently holding the devil's advocate position in order to expose a variety of perspectives. This approach at LANL resulted in his being described as possessing "infallible logic" by a Deputy Director of the Lab. Harry viewed his life as an experiment. His phenomenal will to live was demonstrated during the last decade of his long life when he survived numerous significant illnesses. His wit and dry humor, a personality trait that many missed or did not understand, never diminished. He is survived by his children, their spouses (Adrian, Betsy, & Janet), six grandchildren (Arielle, Colleen, Mollie, Nikolas, Zachary, & Talia), two great grandchildren (Jacie & Chloe) and his long-time companion Ada Sunier. His gentle spirit will be missed. Memorial to Celebrate Harry's Life: February 26th & 2:00PM in the El Castillo Community Room, 250 E. Alameda St. Santa Fe, NM.

Persons wishing to share remembrances of Harry with his family can send them to his son Jared at hdreicer@comcast.com