by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (June 5, 2019) – Mayor Patty Eidam opened last night’s Village Board meeting with a tribute to retired Assistant Fire Chief Frank J. Novak Jr., who passed away at home on May 31, 2019, at the age of 94.
Eidam recited Novak’s biography of service, beginning with his acceptance into the Lansing Fire Department in 1951. He became a paid-on-call lieutenant in 1960, before becoming Assistant Fire Chief in 1961. In 1976 Novak was certified as one of Lansing’s first EMTs, and he became a paramedic that same year. “He dedicated his life to the Lansing Fire Department and the Village of Lansing until his retirement on January 20th in 1990,” read Mayor Eidam.
Novak was also a US Army veteran who served in World War II.
Eidam went on to say, “Even after his retirement, Frank was a regular fixture at the firehouse, stopping by for coffee in the morning, and checking on the crew after fire calls. …I myself have fond memories of Frank as a mentor, friend, and fellow paramedic. He will be greatly missed by our fire department and the village of Lansing. Our sympathy goes out to his family.”
The Board and meeting attendees observed a moment of silence in honor of Frank Novak. And fire stations in Lansing are adorned with bunting in his memory.
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