Alexander W. Magocsi Jr.

Alexander W. Magocsi, Jr. died at age 75 in Hamburg, Germany on January 31, 2023. He is survived by his wife of over fifty years, Roswitha (Fechner) Magocsi, his son Boris, daughter-in-law Sonja Graeber-Magocsi, and grandson Yoshi.

Known among family, friends, and colleagues variously as Alex, Sandy and Magoo, he was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on July 12, 1947, the third son of Alex and Helen Magocsi and the fourth of what were eventually five children in the family.

After graduating from York High School and Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in German, Sandy bought a one-way ticket to Germany, beginning his life as an international citizen. There, he and his best friend, Ted Boardman, traveled extensively, lived in youth hostels, assimilated into south German life and language, and met Sandy’s future wife, Roswitha. After settling in Stuttgart in 1971, Roswitha and Magoo, as he was known to Roswitha and his German friends and family, were married in Roswitha’s hometown of Vlotho the following March.

Magoo and Roswitha remained in Stuttgart, where he worked at a variety of jobs, including fashion photographer’s assistant, teacher of German to American service personnel, and translator, and where their son Boris was born in 1976.

Early in 1978, the family moved to York, where Alex, as he was known among his colleagues, worked for many years for Hussey Seating Company of North Berwick. His job sometimes took him to Europe and Asia, and in 1992, the family relocated to Hamburg for two years while Alex continued working for Hussey in those areas of the world. It was his first time living in a large city, and the family took full advantage of Hamburg’s many and varied offerings. Magoo moved back to Hamburg in 2012 to be with Roswitha, and to join Boris, who by that time had a family of his own, Sandy’s grandson, Alyosha (Yoshi), and his daughter-in-law, Sonja Graeber-Magocsi, and who had also moved recently to Hamburg.

Sandy dedicated his free time to his family, and to historical and genealogical research. He was an active volunteer with the Old York Historical Society and subsequently the York History Group. He was known among his family and his friends for his kindness and generosity of spirit, his quick wit and irreverent sense of humor, and his keen interest in the lives of those he held dear. He retained his sense of humor to the end, and even during his last days was unfailingly gracious and appreciative of the care and attention he received from the staff at the Jewish Hospital (Israelitisches Krankenhaus) in Hamburg.

Sandy was predeceased by his parents and by his brothers, Robert and Stephen. In addition to his wife Roswitha, his son Boris, grandson Yoshi, and daughter-in-law Sonja Graeber-Magocsi, he is survived by his sisters Marianne Pei and Joanne Hepp, and by numerous members of his extended family.

Visiting hours will be at Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home from 12:00-2:00 on July 15, 2023. His ashes will be buried in the family plot at the First Parish Cemetery in York.

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