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<p><em>Steven Stanley “Steve” Wolszczak</em> was born on April 10, 1957 in Evanston, IL to Thaddeus and Helen Wolszczak. Steve attended Maine Township High School in East Park Ridge, where he started his development as a Renaissance man. Steve always said, “If you’re not learning, you’re dying.” In sports, Steve excelled at gymnastics and was able to perform the iron cross on the rings, a highly skilled move that requires significant shoulder and bicep strength. He was in several school plays and was a member of the International Thespian Society. He received a congressional appointment to the Academy from Representative Samuel H. Young of Illinois’s 10th Congressional District prior to his high school graduation in 1974.</p>
<p>Steve was a true patriot and lived by the creed “Duty, Honor and Country.” He spent all four years in Company H-1 and displayed the dedication and hard work for which the company motto, “Root Hog or Die,” stood. He excelled in academics and was a Star Man. Steve was very humble about his academic and intellectual abilities, but it was well known in H-1 that if anyone needed assistance in a course he would help. William Bishop, Steve’s plebe roommate said: “Steve…was the key reason I was able to survive that year and ultimately graduate. He was brilliant from the very beginning, and his patience in helping me with calculus and Spanish was incredible. When he finished his studies, he did not go to sleep; instead, he immediately turned around in his chair and stayed up several more hours helping with additional instruction in areas where I was constantly falling short. I have never forgotten his patience, kindness, and utter devotion to helping any classmate who needed it…he was the best roomie you could ever have.” </p>
<p>Rick Contreras, another plebe roommate related: “Steve had an amazing mind and a photographic memory. When we got our books, he read them all in one night. He didn’t take books to class. After three months, I was in seat 15 in the top algebra class, and Steve was in seat one. First thing the prof. said was ‘take boards.’ He had no book, and he hadn’t done any homework the night before, having never opened those books after day one. Well, he put the problem up and solved it, and because he was the only one to get it right, he explained how he got the answer.” Steve was also fluent in Spanish, Italian, and French and had a working knowledge of several other languages. </p>
<p>Steve joined the Academy’s Pistol Team as a plebe and was an excellent marksman. He joined three other individuals on the NRA Intercollegiate All-American Pistol Team, which was invited to try out for the Olympics in 1978. His teammate Pat McGaugh said: “In addition to being a very good shot, Steve was a committed and cherished member of the team. His sense of humor and wit were always a boost to team morale.” That quick wit and his sometimes-sarcastic nature also made him a joy to be around in H-1. He once changed the pictures in his room’s absence card from authorized pictures to those of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. His classmates thought the altered absence card was hilarious, but H-1’s tactical officer thought otherwise and gave Steve and his roommate some “quality study time” in the form of room tours. </p>
<p>As a firstie, Steve planned and supervised H-1’s company trip to New York City to see the Broadway musical “The Wiz.” He was also a music lover and enjoyed listening to jazz, blues, and rock. Les Szabolsci recalls that Steve “had a real ‘musical bent.’ He could do an incredible Elvis on-stage impersonation, complete with microphone, and he was truly passionate about jazz. He was a live wire—his brain never shut down.”</p>
<p>Upon graduation Steve selected the Chemical Corps and served in various assignments worldwide until resigning his commission in August 1984. After leaving the military, he had a decades-long career specializing in fiber optic technology and test equipment and was recognized internationally as a fiber optics “guru.” Throughout his career, he pursued his passion, teaching as a company trainer and traveling worldwide to develop employees’ professional knowledge. Steve later started his own consulting and training company, Midwest Lightwave. He truly enjoyed the work and being his own boss for several years. </p>
<p>In the local community, Steve was a veterans advocate and volunteered with Veterans Upward Bound, a non-profit group that helped homeless veterans develop job and life skills. He was also a dog lover. Steve supported the work of his wife, Julie, for nearly 20 years in her role directing operations for Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue, a national non-profit rescue for Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes. Steve was an accomplished outdoorsman, and over the years he and Julie enjoyed camping and sailing for fun and relaxation. He had a detailed knowledge of elegant food and fine dining and was, in fact, a self-taught chef and grill master. Friends, visitors, and guests could always expect to be fed an amazing meal or to be introduced to a new restaurant where the cuisine was outstanding and the entertainment superb.</p>
<p>Steve Wolszczak was truly “A Man for All Seasons” who made the world a better place. He brought laughter, intelligence, and fun to those lucky enough to have him in their lives. He had a generous spirit and was always ready to lend a hand to a friend, neighbor, colleague or stranger stuck on the side of the road. He will be truly missed.</p>
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