Dennis S. Kozlowski, affectionately known as “Koz,” answered the Lord’s call on April 16, 2026, at his home in Poquoson, VA. Born in Redding, Pennsylvania, Koz was the son of the late Virginia and Sigmund Kozlowski. At the age of 10, Coach moved to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, to live with his grandmother, Teresa Viscount, where he discovered his love of sports by participating in a game of Little League Baseball. Koz graduated at the top of his class at Hazelton H.S in 1962; Attended Frederick Military Academy in 1963, and was #1 in his Prep Class. He then attended Frederick College (’64-’68) in Portsmouth, Virginia, and in 1968, he came to Bethel High School (BHS) as an English teacher, then eventually Head Coach of Football, Track/Field, and later the Athletic Director until his retirement in 2000. Koz came to be the “Architect of BHS Success” in athletics. Through the years, he led the Bruins in 1974, 1976, and 1992 to win AAA State Football Championships, and to countless track and field record breaking moments from student athletes throughout his career. All of the students he worked with were like his children, and he loved them all with everything he had to give.
A Memorial Service will be held at New Hope Baptist Church, 1415 Big Bethel Road, Hampton, Virginia 23666, on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
The obituary was dictated to me by Koz himself! You all know, he had to be in control! It has been an honor for the last 5 years to care for him, get to know him better, and listen to all the stories of days gone by. Some stories I’ll take to my grave! I’d cringe when he would ask, “Do you remember?”; because I couldn’t remember too much of anything, and he remembered EVERYTHING about what happened, when it happened, and where it happened! He loved sharing his memories and hoped his former students and athletes would remember as well. So many of us are a part of the known Legacy of Koz. ALWAYS toot your horn with pride when you speak of your time with him, and ALWAYS know he cherished his moments with you!
Norma Lynn Johnson Jeffries, a.k.a. Koz’s Secretary