Frank Vozak VOZAK

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!