Siegmund Spiegel

1919 - 2016

SPIEGEL-Siegmund Architect and Holocaust lecturer, born in Gera, Germany 1919, died on July 14th, 2016 while with his family, celebrating the 95th birthday of his beloved wife, Ruth. There is no better tribute to Siegmund than what was just written by Steve Karras who wrote about the valiant German Jews who fought in WWII in The Enemy I Knew: German Jews in the Allied Military in World War II: "It is with profound sadness to announce that Siegmund Spiegel passed away and I wanted to write a few things about this extraordinary person. Sig was an architect and the recipient of many awards for housing, planning, commercial, and institutional projects in New York State. He co-founded the Black-Jewish Coalition of Long Island and the Nassau County Holocaust Commission, and was the designer of the Holocaust Memorial and Education Center. Even in retirement he maintained an active schedule writing articles for architecture magazines and lectured at numerous schools about the Holocaust. "He was the youngest of three children born to Jacob and Sara Spiegel in Gera, Germany, a town just south of Leipzig. His older brother, Norbert, left for Palestine in 1935; his sister, Betty, went to the United States in 1936 and Sig followed two years later in 1938. His parents were deported to Poland and were last heard from in 1940. "He volunteered to be drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941 and served in the G-2 section of the 1st Infantry Division - The Big Red One - from its organization in Fort Indiantown Gap, PA through the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and France. "Sig once told me, 'At the beginning of World War II, I was young. I was eager to fight, fight as a Jew against Nazi Germany. I could not have lived with myself had I not played an active part. Having now, on many trips to Europe, revisited so many of the places that back then held my life in the palm of their hands, and having had a chance in retrospect of sixty-plus years to reflect on the events played out over my close to four years in the service, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to relive them. Although circumstances and daily happenings make me at times wonder if it was worth it, the answer always comes back, as clear as can be: 'I wouldn't want to have missed it!' " In the early 1970's, Sig became very active in Jewish philanthropic work, founding the Architects, Engineers and Builders Division of United Jewish Appeal of Long Island. He served as President of the Long Island Board of the Anti-Defama-tion League, was active in B'nai B'rith, and organized Holocaust Victims Memorials. His major emphasis was teaching youth about the Holocaust via lecturing in schools, and educating teachers. After retiring from active practice in 1988, Sig traveled twice to Germany to speak to students and Police trainees. His teaching of The Holocaust and "Bridge Building" among various communities, Races and Religions earned him the Yavner Award of the N.Y. State Board of Regents in 1992, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Hofstra University in 1993. He continued teaching about The Holocaust after his move to Florida. In these later years, he spoke to children in public, private and parochial schools in South Florida. His autobiographical account of his wartime experiences and philosophy, D-Day Plus Seventy Years, was published in 2012. For his service in the Infantry and Military Intelligence, he attained the rank of Master Sergeant. And for his bravery he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, the Croix de-Guerre-Avec Palme by the Belgian government, and was awarded the "Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor" by the French Government in 2012. Sig will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at a date to be announced. He is survived by his beloved family: wife of over 71 years, Ruth, daughters Sandra McGrath Bauman, Deborah Spiegel Rockwerk and her husband Sandy, grandson Brandon Spiegel Bauman, nieces Susan Maier (husband Dan Sieg), Ada Golan Meir (husband Dani), and nephew Amos Golan (wife Elise). Contributions in his memory can be made to The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. and the Anti-Defamation League.