In Memoriam: Siegfried Koschewitz

April 6, 1938 – February 20,2026

Siegfried Koschewitz came to America from Germany with his brother Guenter, intending only to visit, but it has been said that he soon realized this was the land of opportunity. His family lived next door to a newly arrived family named Rausch on Chatham Street in Philadelphia. In 1962 he married Mathilda Rausch, a Banat German born in Botschar in 1941. Together they had two children, Christine and John, and were married for 36 years until her death after a battle with cancer in 1998.

A soccer man, Sieggy played in Germany with SV Zweckel in Gladbeck, beginning at age 9. He continued in pee wees and juniors until age seventeen on several very successful teams. He then joined the senior team, playing until he came to the United States at age eighteen and a half. In the United States he first played for the United German Hungarians in 1957 for a short time. He then joined Kolping in 1958. When that group ended up at the Phoenix Sport Club, Sieggy went as well. He played on the Phoenix first division team but retired in 1974 after three broken legs. As a coach he led youth, junior, women’s, and men’s teams with Phoenix. He served as Director of Phoenix Soccer from 1975–1980, then as Steward of Phoenix from 1981–1987.

In 1987 the Koschewitzes joined the German Hungarians, hired as managers of the club. They handled day‑to‑day operations. Tillie took charge of the kitchen committee, rentals, and catering. Sieggy could often be found in the bar, and together they managed all food and beverage operations for entertainment, cultural, and soccer events. They helped host international soccer teams including the U.S. World Cup Team, the men’s team of Malta, and the national women’s teams of Germany, the People’s Republic of China, and Norway. They were with us for large‑scale events such as our 1994 Fahnenweihe and various regional and national soccer cup finals.

“He and Tillie together amassed a wonderful group of people to work at our club in the 80’s and 90’s . They were good times both for us and I am sure for them as well.” —Marlene Fricker

Tillie’s 1998 Monthly Progress obituary describes the Koschewitzes as quickly becoming part of the “German Hungarian Scene.”

Karen David remembers:

“They always supported us and the dance group. They attended many events, Gaufests, packed many many, meals for us for our road trips and always supported us all along the way.”

Sieggy wasn’t just the manager of the clubhouse in Oakford. They both traveled with us to soccer weekends, dance group outings, and Gaufests. In 1993 and again in 1999, in classic German Hungarian style, we hosted after‑tournament parties for all the soccer teams and administrators attending the National Finals in Indianapolis and St. Louis respectively. Sieggy made all the arrangements for those out‑of‑town events. In 1993, some attendees asked, “This is what you do when you lose? What happens when you win?”

For the time he held the role, he could act like a fixer. One Gaufest story is a great one to tell. The band had finished playing, and Werner Fricker Jr., the President at the time, asked Sieggy to find out how much they wanted to keep playing for another hour. He returned stating the band’s requested price. The President said, “Koschewitz, pay them,” and Sieggy replied, “I already did.”

The German Hungarians who were children and young adults at the club in the 80s and 90s still talk about the ways Mr. Sieggy and Tillie treated us.

His warm grin was often complete with a flick of his tongue. His laugh was a wheezing, jowly chuckle, and though he wasn’t a big man, boy he could yell.

Sometimes it was at the referee on a Sunday at the Major game; other times it was at us kids — including a famous story Alex Blank tells about singing too loudly from the bathroom during the Gauverband delegates meeting.

Werner Fricker III recalls:

“We spent a lot of time there obviously around him and Mrs. Tillie. They always took great care of us. They treated us as their own and he wasn’t afraid to yell at us when we needed it!”

I think we all can imitate his loud “Yaaaoooooo!”

“They treated us like we could have been their own grandchildren.” -Nichole Blank Deely

There were always curly fries for us at events. Tillie made sandwiches, baked famous muffins, or gave you a roll with butter if the kitchen wasn’t open. Mr. Sieggy would get you a soda with a cherry and a bag of chips, and when you took one sip he’d top it off whether you wanted more or not.

Sieggy and Tillie being at our club also meant we got their son John as well. Johnny “Kosh” joined the dance group. He worked on committees including as Chair of the Bar, and coached soccer as well. He was instrumental in great successes of our women’s soccer program in the 90s and 00s. Sieggy would send John to load us kids up in his van. He’d drive us across the street to the Cumberland farms to get snacks and sodas.

Siegfried, Mathilda, and John all were awarded our Ehrenwürdig for Dedicated Service to the United German Hungarians in 2000. Sieggy retired as manager of the German Hungarians the same year, but we still saw him from time to time at our events, on Sundays for soccer games, and around the community. He became a school bus driver and later married his wife Joyce, who passed away in 2025.

In 2016 Siegfried Koschewitz — who only played one season with the United German Hungarians — was nominated by our club to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame (formerly the Philadelphia Old‑Timers). In his SEPA Hall of Fame speech he shared that Werner Fricker was the first person to invite him to play when he came to this country, and that he even bought him his first pair of soccer shoes.

Wherever he went, Sieggy and his family made friends — from playing soccer in Germany with SV Zweckel, to his membership in the Herman Humboldt Lodge, to his years in soccer and management at the First German Sport Club Phoenix.

The United German Hungarians are proud and thankful to have had Sieggy and his family counted amongst our members and friends. Our prayers are with his family especially his daughter Christine Jacobs and son John Koschewitz and their families.

Mr. Sieggy we will miss you, thank you for giving us so many wonderful memories.

Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing on Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. his masonic service at 11:00 A.M. and his funeral service at 11:15 A.M. at Wetzel and Son Funeral Home, 501 Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090. His graveside service will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 5201 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA 19020. Religious services will be provided by Fr. Joseph Okonski.

Family flowers arranged by Domenic Graziano Flowers & Gifts 215-355-1550.

You can read and view his official obituary and find more information about services at www.wetzelandson.com