DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Sat, 13 May 2006 12:25:32 -0400
Reply-To: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu>
Subject: A Member's Death
Of interest to the division because Steve is a former chair of the
CHAS Division and was active on the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety...
STEPHEN SICHAK, SR.
The Chicago Section has lost another wise, talented and vital
colleague from its ranks. Stephen Sichak, Sr. passed away on
Thursday, May, 11, 2006 in his sleep. This leaves a void in many of
our lives. He will be greatly missed by his friends. His kind and
patient spirit was evident to many of us as we saw him do what he
enjoyed best, chemical safety with a passion.
Steve was born on September 2, 1928 on the east side of Chicago. He
attended St. Louis University where he received his B.S. degree in
Chemistry. He also received a B.S. in microbiology from the
University of Indiana. Steve began his career as a senior chemist
with the Toni Division of the Gillette Company in 1956. In 1967, he
was appointed Laboratory Safety Director. His career ladder included
technical coordinator of product safety at Dr. Scholl, safety
supervisor for ARCO and finally joining Argonne National Laboratories
as a senior safety engineer. He remained there for ten years until
his retirement in 1996. Steve authored and published ìThe Laboratory
Safety Deskbook, I: A Guide to OSHA Standardsî.
Steve joined the American Chemical Society in 1960. He became active
in the Chicago Section in 1964 on the staff of the Chemical Bulletin,
where he served eleven years and one year as business manager. Also
during that first year, he was active on the House Committee. His
true interest and passion began in 1972, when he chaired the Safety
Committee for the next three years. Steve continued to be a member
Safety Committee either in the role of chair or co-chair, training
others and under its new name, Environmental Health and Safety. Steve
had also been involved with Chemistry Day since the beginning; acting
in both the role of safety and an extremely active member of the
committee. In 1984-85 he was elected Chair-Elect of the Section, and
succeeded to Chair in 1985-86 and Past Chair in 1986-87. He held many
roles in the Section including Vice Chair (81-82), Policy Char
(81-82), Office Affairs and Budget Director (81-84), Professional
Relations (72-73) and Nominating Committee (02). Steve has also
served the Section faithfully as a director for fifteen years and as
an alternate councilor from 74-79 and finally as a councilor from
1980 until his passing.
As seriously as he took his duties to the Section, he was also
extremely active at the National level. Steve represented the Section
as a councilor for twenty five years, at which time he served on
Chemical Safety (Defunct) as a committee associate until the new
Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS) was formed. He was a committee
associate on CCS from 1988-1991 and full member of the committee from
1994 through 2003. Steve became a consultant to the committee in
2006. Steve also served as a member on Constitution and By-Laws from
2002 until 2003. He was active in the Chemical Health & Safety
Division from 1993 to 2003 and chaired that Division in 1994. He was
also a long time member of the Division of Professional Relations and
active on the newsletter committee from 1979 to 2003 and a member-at-
large from 2001 to 2002.
Steve received the Distinguished Service Award from the Chicago
Section in 1994 and the Chicago Association of Technological
Societies Merit Award in 1991. He was a member of the Executive
Committee R&D Section National Safety Council and the National Fire
Protection Association. He was chair of the Midwest Chapter of
Cosmetic Chemists in 1976 and president of the Toastmaster
International Argonne Club in 1990.
Steveís other love besides the Section and his family was his church.
He was an extraordinary minister at St. James in Arlington Heights
and on the Parish Council for 3 years. He loved to cook, with veal
parmesan being one of his specialties. He leaves behind his devoted
and loving wife Peg, 13 children and 16 grandchildren. Our prayers go
out to his family.
FRAN KRAVITZ
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