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Sibylle Margarete LoSchiavo (born Kussmaul) was born, March 11, 1954 in Bondorf, a small farming village in the southwest part of Germany to Richard and Johanna Kussmaul. She was the eldest of 4 children and spent her childhood helping tend the farm that had been in the family for generations.
After high school, she entered a nursing program at the county hospital in Boeblingen, Germany – where upon graduating, she was offered a nursing position. She fulfilled her sense of adventure, traveling to places like Egypt, Barbados, and Ghana. While moonlighting as a waitress and bartender at the officers’ club at Panzer Kaserne she met her future husband, Lieutenant Philip LoSchiavo.
After 2 years of dating, they married at the St George’s chapel, in Hohenzollern Castle on Friday, the 13th of August 1982. In June of 1983, while very pregnant, they relocated back to the US and lived in Pasco County, Florida. By August, their family grew as she gave birth to Joanna. Twenty-five months later, in Sept 1985, she gave birth to son, Michael. Soon the family packed up for their first move to the New York City Metro area – the city where her husband had spent his childhood.
Sibylle started on her journey as an Army wife and full-time mom, all while adapting to a new culture. She frequently missed the fresh German bakeries but learned quickly how to manage the family on a Captain’s Salary. They lived in on-base housing where they adopted a stray black cat, Rocky, that tolerated the two children.
The family moved roughly every three years, having to part with possessions and people at each location, but holding onto the memories. Palm Bay, Florida was the place where the children started school and the house remains where she and Phil reside today.
In Hanau, Germany, the family was able to see Sibylle’s siblings and extended family after a three-hour drive on the autobahn, along with many weekend trips to neighboring countries to provide the children with a practical history lesson. She was an avid volunteer and spent her time in the Craft Shop, the Thrift Shop and most notably, served as a USO coordinator, giving tours of the local German hospital to pregnant spouses of soldiers.
In Springfield, Virginia, she was able to recertify herself as a nurse in the US (by passing the NCLEX test on her first try) and began working as a home health nurse. She also helped her children solve the puzzles in PC games like Myst and Gabriel Knight. After Joanna participated in a career day at a veterinarian’s office, the kitten named Tiger was added to the family, and Tiger curled up on Sibylle’s lap at the end of each day.
In Macomb County, Michigan, she returned to full-time nursing with the children in high school. Even when she was working the night shift, she still packed lunches and cooked dinners to take care of her family. She and Phil participated in several clubs on base including the “I Hate to Cook” and the “Gourmet Cooking” club with the other officer families. Both children graduated high school making the next move a much smaller one.
In Los Angeles, California, her and Phil lived in a beautiful hillside house that overlooked the ocean, and she enjoyed watching the activity at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach while eating breakfast on the porch. She continued her nursing career in the local hospital. Inspired by the ocean and her ability to help others, she volunteered at the Marine Mammal Center, helping to rehabilitate sickly seals and sea lions. This was Phil’s final assignment, and the couple returned to the Palm Bay house upon his retirement from the military. Sibylle remained a Cavalryman’s wife. Shortly after his retirement, she became a US Citizen.
After retiring from nursing, Sibylle (with Phil in tow) enjoyed cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, and Mexico, traveling Europe, and visiting her children and grandchildren in California and Colorado. When not traveling, she spent her time becoming a Master Gardener and herbalist, and furthering her love of learning new crafting techniques.
Sibylle passed peacefully at her home in Palm Bay on January 28th, 2026.
Sibylle is preceded in death by her parents. She leaves behind her husband Philip of 43 years of marriage. She is survived by her children Joanna (Scott) and Michael (Christina) her grandchildren Abigail and Leona. She is also survived by her brothers Albrecht, Alex (Hilde), and sister Gabriela (Michael) and seven nieces and nephews and numerous great nieces and nephews.
She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, Indialantic, FL at 11am on February 23rd , 2026.
Interment will be held on February 24th, 2026 at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery at 1pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Sibylle’s name to Moffitt Cancer Center (www.moffitt.org).
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