
Alton Sr High School
Class Of 1970
Frank Vozak VOZAK

Residing In: | Oak Park, IL USA |
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Spouse/Partner: | Terrie A. Rymer |
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Occupation: | Retired licensed clinical social worker; Retired Army MAJ |
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Children: | None |
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Military Service: | Army-Retired from Army Reserve as MAJOR ![]() |
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Since graduation I completed my Masters in Social Work at Saint Louis University
I served as a Social Work Officer in the US Army for 20 years: 2 Active and 18
Reserve retiring in 1994 at the Rank of MAJOR. I worker for 44 years as a Clinical Social Worker at Hines VA Hospital, outside of Chicago. I worked as a medical social worker then as the Social Worker then as a Psychiatric/Substance Abuse Social Worker then as an AIDS /HIV Social Worker and ended by career as a Geriatric Social Worker retiring in 2017. I worked a second part time career as an Emergency Room Social Worker at Loyola University Medical Center and retired from there after 25 years in 2015. I am highly credentialed with a State of Illinois and National Board Certified in Clinical Social Work and recently retired Certifications in Substance Abuse Counselling and Gender Therapy. My big passion is model railroading and I am the long time President of the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers and I have three layouts in my base. After not playing the bass guitar for 45 years I started again and play weekly with the Oak Park Farmer's Band-----an interesting group of musicians/singers in which during the summer any interested musician can walk in and join the circle playing bluegrass/roots/country/folk music. It is really amazing how much you can learn from quality fellow musicians. I have gained a new appreciation for a wide variety of music by playing songs as members of the band call out. e have a Facebook group which only has broadened the range of songs I appreciate. Though I no longer play violin there are a group of really talented fiddle players in our group. Many of you may remember my late father Frank Jr was a charter founding member of the Alton Civic Orchestra and I only wish he could have played in our fiddle section. My newest organization is The American Legion, which I joined when they opened up membership to Cold war veterans along with being a a life member of AMVETS and a regular member of Jewish war Vets and Military Officers Association as well as The American Legion. I continue to have small psychotherapy practice and periodically I get calls from VA patients and families and assist them with questions, issues and concerns that they have not gotten assistance with. Probably my greatest life achievement is that I used by knowledge of the VA system to help 33 vets with their applications for 100% Service Connected Disability as well as many others who qualified for Service Connected Disability with lower ratings
I sincerely appreciate the high quality education that I received at Alton High. I worked really hard in high school which prepared me so well that honestly undergrad and grad school was easy. I graduated from Saint Louis University with a 3.74/4.o average. Mr Bruno, Mr Wools and Mr Conrady continue to remain in my mind today because I still use lessons learned from each of them. The one not so good thing about high school is that I had a back injury playing football in my sophomore year and it got better only to come back ion my late 50's. I have a whole volume of memories from high school in my head, both serious and funny
I happily attended Mc Kinley-Delmar School always hoping that I would get to go to Delmar since my grandparents' farm literally backed up to the Delmar playground in Godfrey but this never happened and then in fifth grade I got "promoted" to Mrs Burt's class which was not fun since she was so demanding but I have to admit that Mrs Burt's emphasis on penmanship incredibly improved my cursive,. And alas I never never escaped from accelerated classes for the rest of my time in Alton Public Schools. I attended West Junior and got my chance to be an athlete starting at center in football and throwing shotput and running 440 relay in track. Unfortunately everybody who went out for AHS football grew and I didn't so I quit football and wrestling after my sophomore year. All the more time to study!
Frank's Latest Interactions
Yvonne did you ever know my mother Margarita Vozak MSw, CSw, ACSw who was the Chief of Social work at Alton State Hospital for 37 yrs. I almost grew up in the Social work Dept at Alton State.I have so many fond memories of Alton State esp Dr Simon who was the long time hosp director. These experiences led me to a 46 yr career in clinical social work as a commissioned social work army officer and then with simultaneous careers as a Vet Admin Social worker at Hines VA Hosp and an Emerg Room Soc worker/psychiatric evaluator at Trama Level 1 Loyola Univ Med Ctr in Maywood, IL. During my VA career I worked on inpatient psychiatry for 19 yrs (I retired in 2018 but still have my restraint key on my key ring) I have a small private psychotherapy practice with pt who followed me after I retired. It would be neat to hear your stories too. Glad that your husband is managing well with a cancer diagnosis and that retirement allows you to spend time with him
Marsha, Your pathway and how you accept and commit with what life brings has been amazing since we met in 7th grade. Many reunions ago when my wife and I spent time with our dear late friend Bruce Cox and you at his place it was really quality time because spending time with either of you was really quality time. You have such a peaceful and comforting presence . I hope you and your husband have many good trips in the RV, good fishing and lots of cute dogs in the future. It is interesting to me that you lived in Ft Lauderdale since my wife and I enjoy vacationing there and in Key west in our time shares. Ft Lauderdale is really a nice town.
Happy birthday
Happy birthday Eddie, for a life that continues to be well ,lived
Happy birthday and thank you for all you do with renal care and dialysis. Can be very rough work but w/ dialysis you literally save people's lives
Posted on: Jan 02, 2023 at 11:08 AM
Happy birthday Karen. I have many good memories about our friendship in High School especially orchestra and mutual friends. I still remember running into you during college and getting updates about high school friends that I had lost touch with. Plus, whenever I see a Jaguar Coupe I think about your mom's XJ-6, the first Jag I ever saw in person ( to this day I love Jags and have a collection of Die Cast miniature Jaguars. Again happy birthday and here's wishes for a great 2023
Suzi, you were always very sweet, very gracious, very smart and very oriented with your future without being flashing or obtrusive. You are one of the most memorable people in our class. Happy birthday and good health to you and your spouse and family
Posted on: Oct 09, 2022 at 6:26 PM
Happy birthday--Not fair that you look so young
You really should do a major exploration in the photo area. I always remember you with a camera around your neck and the photos you post are really excellent. In high school, a photo was an instamatic print to me so I never really appreciated the quality of your early work until; I got involved in SLR photography in college. Good photography is really a talent and a skill and you have hugh amounts of both. Unfortunately my Pentax Spotmatic with split screen and lens got lost in a divorce and my Olympus OM-1 with split screen and lens was lost in a home invasion. So now I am just a point and shoot guy with a Pentax rangefinder with zoom lens and 2 Japanese made (meaning Minolta mechanicals and German E. Leitz glass) Now that you are retired and benefit from the economies of digital photography go conquer the world.
Posted on: Aug 21, 2022 at 9:43 PM
Happy birthday Toni. You are truly one of the most amazing people that I have ever known. Your career in landscape architecture and urban planning really showed how you so dramatically took your talents and dreams and made an amazing life by following you own way with strength and confidence
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