Heidi Angela Sibayton

Well it has been a year that you left this world today.  Life goes on without you but your memories will never fade from the minds of the people who loved you.  As far as I know Sharrie seems to be ok.  Of course who would really know how she is.  Only she knows that.  Her and Kim just got back from a trip to Africa.  From the pictures it looks like she had a good time.  The good ones like you who are happy, adventurous, and loving are always the ones that leave too soon. 

One of the most impressive qualities of Heidi was how she would zoom in a solution or find middle ground even in the most adverse and challenging office situations. 

A week after starting at ARL, Heidi went to APG to meet her APG staff.  During the interviews, Heidi noted that an ivy vine was growing inside their office space on the 2nd floor.  I don't know if Heidi hung the Christmas tree ornament on it, or if she merely took the picture. None the less, she showed it to me as proof of her team's resilience, dedication and desire to make merry even when life gives you a vine.

Within days of Heidi's start, we were tasked with briefing CIO capabilities resulting from an internal merger of IT Divisions.  Wanting to tout my new Branch Chiefs (BCs), i asked them to prepare one slide with their goals, accomplishments and a picture of themselves.  All BCs had formal pictures but Heidi, and getting one taken and scheduled before the meeting was just not possible.  Heidi volunteered this picture, and knowing Heidi, I knew this was the best way to show her off. 

This picture says everything about Heidi -- adventurous, fun, not afraid to try anything once, and always with the best perspective on everything.  I miss her.

I enjoyed Heidi's company both professionally and personally.  Professionally, she approached our project with high
with high standards, high expectations, and a customer focus.  Personally, she always found time to
interleave some idle chit chat about the latest tech devices, travel, and the emus.  That provided
the team with a good balance; building comradery.  She was also a good sport when teased; becoming loud and
loud and animated.  Everyone liked to see that. 

I don't even remember when I met Heidi.  It seems like I knew her forever but I know it was just at the USPTO.  We discovered that each of us was ticklish.  At first it was a game to poke each other when we passed in the halls or were in the same meetings together.  Then we started just sneaking up on the other and just standing there until noticed.  It really helped relieve the stress of the day.  Our jobs kept us in contact for many years and I counted her as one of my friends at work.  Although we'd gone our separate ways over time I remember her and will miss her.

Heidi was my boss, not for long but long enough to leave impact on every one of us in the branch.  At first, I thought it was very strange that we never had any branch meetings.  Till this day, the only branch meeting (?) we had was the Christmas luncheon up at White Marsh.  Maybe she wanted to leave a legacy of being the only branch chief ever in history not to have any branch meeting.

Although I met her briefly, the time I met her she was already telling my about her trip to Iceland to see the Northern Star.  I gave her faces because I saw the picture of Iceland before and it did not excite me at all.  She laughed at my expression and said it could be a mistake to go there, jokingly.  She said it was the best time to see the Northern star and Iceland was it for that.  What an advanturous mind.

She also told me about her emus.  On my birthday this year, although she did not realize it was my b-day, she gave me 3 Emu eggs.  As a matter of fact I still have one in my refrigerator.  I gave one to my co-worker friend Yueming who was so excited to see and have it.  I actually cooked one to make omlet, trying to be adventurous and to show off to Heidi that I cooked and liked it but it turned out to be too thick and weird, I decided never to cook and eat it again.  Now that I have one preserved in my fridge for more than 2 months old, what do I do with it, Heidi?  I need your advice...  It is too soon for you to be gone.

Heidi was one of those rare people that you liked the moment you met her. I only knew her for a short time...about a year, as my peer and friend at ARL. In the short time I knew her, she made a huge impact on me, both personally and professionally. She was always there to lend a helping hand -- defending my staff against unwarranted verbal assualts when I wasn't around, talking me "off the ledge" when I wanted to be "less than professional" with staff or other colleagues, and providing sound professional and life advice.
 
She was also the best story teller I have ever met. I couldn't wait to hear another one of her vacation stories. She made you feel as if you had experienced the adventure with her. My favorite was the helicopter ride in the snow...

She also turned me on to 2 of the best BBQ joints in Southern MD...Dale's Smokehouse (she highly recommended the ribs, baked beans, and potato salad) and George's BBQ. She also pointed me to Grinders, a good Seadfood carry-out. She told me I had to get something from all three or it wasn't worth the trip (she was right). She cautioned me that on any given Saturday, I might run into her in her "skivvies" at any of those places and I could not mention it at work.

I will TRULY miss Heidi...her smile...her laughter...her kind heart...her energetic spirit...and most of all her amazing sense of humor. My prayers and condolences to her family, she will live on in our hearts and memories!

My sincere condolences to Heidi's family and friends.  I am very saddened to hear her passing and wish peace to her and all those who loved her.

I did not work directly with Heidi but I would pass her often in the hallways of Building 12.  She always had such a quirky and endearing sense of style and I rememember complementing her on some fun and colorful pieces on many occasions.  I especially remember Heidi's colorful rainboots.  They were happy-looking, unique boots and they matched their owner's personality. Heidi's passing is a loss to many.  Please know that even those who merely passed by her in life feel the sadness of this loss.

With sympathy,
GSFC colleague

Those are two words I'd use to describe Heidi; warm and engaging.  Heidi and I worked together less than a year at Goddard Space Flight Center and in that very short period of time I learned what a fun-loving and just neat and cool person that she was each and every day.  We were put in very difficult circumstances to solve some pretty significant issues and Heidi found it within her heart to let me in and truly commit to and work with me to get through the difficult times.  You really can't ask for more than that from anyone and Hedi was really there for me when I needed her.  My prayers go out to everyone who knew Heidi because even though we are rightly focused on what she did in life, losing her is hard too. 

In the early 1980s, I was actually stationed in the German town where Heidi was raised.  We were both so shocked when we found that out through a casual conversation.  After that, we would always greet each other in German.  She was so personable and friendly, always smiling.  She was very down-to-earth, and never put on airs.  And what a sense of humor!  She didn't miss a beat!  There were a couple of times when we had staff meetings through video teleconference, and Heidi was at Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She drew a picture of a smiley face, and kept putting it in front of the camera.  She had us cracking up! 

Auf Wiedersehen, Heidi.  Kann Gott ruhen deine Seele.

Heidi and I hit it off as friends right off the bat.  Shortly after she started working at ARL-CIO, we were in a staff meeting and when it came my turn to speak, I announced that I would be out on leave, heading home to Evening Shade, Missouri for a visit with my family.  Heidi's mouth dropped with almost dis-belief as Evening Shade, Missouri is the home of her father.  Needless to say, we became friends instantly.  We shared many Evening Shade stories and laughed until our stomachs hurt.  During Heidi's last visit home, she took pictures and videos and couldn't wait to share with me.   I am going to miss Heidi, she was a true inspiration and she lived life to the fullest.  She was always smiling and that smile I will never forget.  Rest in peace my dear friend. 

I was lucky to know Heidi even if it was for a short period of time. She was my supervisor but I never felt that as she was a friend to all of us and I had the previlege of closely working with her at ARL. She will always find a common ground, a common theme to talk to each of her team members. She has this gift to connect with everybody. She was always smiling and ready to help. She will always say something that will make the stress melt away, an ice breaker in meetings.

Her laptop was always with her along with her iPad, she will always take notes on her laptop even if we have official note takers, she will always remind us with her "Defined, Consistent and Repeatable" mantra, her stories about her Emus, her vacation stories, endless energy and how she was able to absorb all the info and recall it later. She became an integral part of the ARL family in very short persiod of time. Above all she was a great person with a great sense of humor and a very positive attitude. I was lucky to learn some things from her, not only work wise but also some important life lessons. I will always miss her and will always remember her smile.... 

Heidi’s time at NASA was relatively short but she left a huge impact on her colleagues at Goddard Space Flight Center.  It’s as if we’ve known her a lifetime.  She made a special connection with everyone on her project team right from the start. She worked very hard at NASA, as she does in all of her jobs, and left us with a successful implementation of a agency-wide system for students to apply for NASA internships.  Heidi shared with us her tremendous sense of humor and zest for life.  Many of us had the opportunity to travel with her to various NASA Centers to provide training on the system.  Those travel adventures will live on in our hearts forever.  Who knew official government travel could be so fun!  We love you Heidi and feel blessed that you touched our lives!  We know you’ll have some fun times planned for us when we meet again.

A dedicated colleague who had a zest for life that touched us all at work and spewed out well beyond the walls of the office... No matter the circumstance, Heidi always had a smile and would try to make th ebest of things.  In work settings sometimes you need and ice breaker to get things going.  On several occassions Heidi was the ice breaker.  She would tell us a crazy story of her adventure or just her weekend plans and we would all laugh so hard.  It was a great intro to a great work session.  On other occassions we would be in a working group and Heidi would throw on her big leather coat she always had by her side.  Instantly we would all laugh becasue no matter what the temperature Heidi was cold.

As a Soldier coming from a comabt unit to a civilan institution it wa a huge adjustment for me.  The culture and pace were very different from what I had been used to .  Heidi was very welcoming.  Who knew that she had just arrived to ARL around the same time as I did. She seemed so at ease here, even as a new employee.  She would always ask me about my previous experiences in the Army and pick my brain about acquisitions.  It was cool to know that she took a personal interest in me (as the outsider) at work. 

She was a go-getter and never let down. We had an incident where a contractor made several allegations about our practices.  Heidi got so fired up.  She whipped out her laptop (which she ALWAYS had by her side) and just started ripping the allegations apart.  It was great! I too get fired up about things and it was nice to see someone else that enjoyed taking on this task with such enthusiasum.  I was amazed at the amount of information Heidi could recall in reference to this action.  There were hundreds of pages to review and note after note from several of our colleagues.  Her performance was outstanding.

The Grief Counselor encouraged us to share stories about Heidi.  Sitting there listening to all the different interactions, i was amazed at how she touched everyone around her.  I knew how I felt about Heidi and remembered all the laughs we shared with the CIO Team. I knew she was one I could count on and I felt that when working with her I owed her nothing short of my best. I had not considered how she touched others and how vast of an impact she left on this agency.

She has inspired me to be a better person and to live life to the fullest.  Sometimes we get caught up in our everyday tasks that we dont smell the roses. Im encouraged to look beyond all that and enjoy everyone and everything around me.  Heidi reflected positive rays of sunshine. Im committed to trying to do the same.

We have all suffered a great loss.  Heidi was a really great person.  I will never forget her.

It took only a second to say hello but it will take an eternity to say goodbye to my friend. Til we meet again....

Heidi sent me these pics (and several emails) as proof that she is dedicated to her job at ARL.  Her email said "just in case you don't realize how dedicated to work I am.  Working on the proposal reviews during breakfast at a Steak n Shake somewhere in Missouri! :-( "

No question that Heidi was the energizer bunny.  In this pic, Heidi clues me in that a milkshake with breakfast is a great way to start the day in Missouri. 

Rather than watch a movie on a plane, Heidi thought it best to work for Uncle Sam.

Note the smile, the thumbs up, and the source document and rating matrix.  Wow!

Without question, Heidi was a tireless professioanal and fully committed to doing her best at the both CNS and at ARL.  Indeed, Heidi's legacy includes applications and systems, projects and plans, architectures and programs, and a host of tiger teams that only Heidi could conceptualize, create and nuture.  This pic shows Heidi working at the airport in December while waiiting for a plane to Missouri. 

Today I escorted Army Chaplin LTC Crockett as he walked the ARL halls and met Heidi's colleagues and staff.  I was touched by the comments made by them and thought to share them with you.  It seems they knew Heidi well when they said:

• "Heidi was a climate changer."
• "Heidi was a beautiful girl and so full of enery."
• "I didn't know Heidi that long but she changed my perspective on a lot of issues."
• "Heidi had so much impact."
• "Heidi could always find middle ground and something positive in every one -- even with difficult folks."
• "When I see that whiteboard, I remember the long conversations about architectures, and how she helped me see them better."
• "Those two hour weekly meetings with Heidi were amazing in that she engaged everyone with such detail that no one had any time to nod off."

During her tenure at ARL, Heidi started so many initiatives that at several points i thought her teams were at their limit.  But cleary Heidi believed in them, and the results showed. 

Rudy

I knew Heidi in Germany. We attended Karlsruhe High School together. We both played the clarinet and she also played the oboe In band. i think we were also in photography together. She was so much fun to be around. She really enjoyed life! My heart and prayers goes out to her family!