'Boots' familiar face will be missed at Dist. 15

Familiar face at Dist. 15, 'Boots' will be missed

As a child growing up in Des Plaines, Yvonne Jozwiak used to love to dance to the Gene Autry song, "Take Me Back to My Boots & Saddle," first recorded the year she was born.

Before long, she earned a nickname from the country song, that stuck. Throughout her life, friends and family members alike, called her "Boots."

Family members say the name captured Mrs. Jozwiak's selfless spirit, including her can-do attitude, and her determination to get in the trenches and work, as much as it captured her spunk.

Earlier this week, family members reflected on her fun loving spirit, and long history of volunteering in the community.

Mrs. Jozwiak died Feb. 28. The former Des Plaines and Rolling Meadows resident, who most lived in Palatine for the last 45 years, was 72.

As a child, Mrs. Jozwiak moved with her family to Wisconsin, where she attended high school, before moving back to the Northwest suburbs as a young adult.

Early jobs included working at both Littlefuse in Des Plaines and as a secretary at Arlington Plating, in Arlington Heights.

However, once she moved to Palatine, she found a satisfying career working for Palatine Township Elementary District 15, beginning as a library aid at Sanborn School before working as school secretary at Joe Woods School, both in Palatine.

The last 20 years Mrs. Jozwiak spent working as the secretary in District 15's business office, in its administration building.

"She loved everything about District 15," says her son, Kenneth Roiland of Palatine. "She loved the people and helping the kids."

Mrs. Jozwiak began her role in the district, as a volunteer, serving as PTA president and Scout leader, both at Sanborn School, where her four sons attended.

She also served as president of the Twins Club in Palatine, which served as a support network for mothers of multiples. Mrs. Jozwiak's youngest boys, Kenneth and Thomas are twins, and they often served as models in the club's fundraisers.

In her retirement, she served a volunteer reader and surrogate grandmother at Thomas Jefferson School in Hoffman Estates, where her own grandchildren attended.

Her volunteer roles also extended to the village of Palatine. Mrs. Jozwiak was a longtime member of the Palatine American Legion Post 690 American Legion, where her husband, Ronald, was a past commander.

Besides her son, Mrs. Jozwiak is survived by her husband of 32 years, Ronald, as well as her three sons, David (Lisa) Roiland of Tucson, Ariz., John "Rick" Roiland of Burlington, Vt., and Thomas (Cathy) Roiland of Lake Zurich; as well as five grandchildren.

Services have been held.