Frank Dorchak
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 16, 2022
Born: August 11, 1936
Died: February 13, 2022
Married: Wanda Murtagh
Children: Amy Murtagh Cantin, Marilyn Goulet, Frank Dorchak III, Christopher Dorchak, Gregory Dorchak
Frank Dorchak was a forester and a Forest Ranger, and taught Environmental Law at Paul Smith's College.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 16, 2022
Frank P. Dorchak
Frank P. Dorchak, Jr., a retired forest ranger of Malone, died on Feb. 13, 2022 at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake. A funeral service will take place Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 at Frary Funeral Home in Malone at 1 p.m. Visitation will be held prior from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Interment will take place in the spring at the Essex County Veterans Cemetery.
Frank was born on Aug. 11, 1936 in Yonkers, the son of Frank and Ann (Cherko) Dorchak. He grew up there until enlisting in the U.S. Navy out of high school from 1955-1965. After leaving the U.S. Navy in 1965, he attended the New York State Ranger School in Wanakena. Upon graduation, he became a consulting forester for the New England Forestry Foundation in Whitefield, New Hampshire. He then was appointed as a state forest ranger in Ray Brook in April of 1967. In 1969, he assumed the duties of Saranac Lake forest ranger, where he participated in over 200 search and rescue missions. In 1981, he transferred to the Malone ranger district, where he raised Suffolk sheep for several years on his farm in Dickinson. He graduated from Empire State College with a degree in Environmental Ethics and Social Policy, and taught Environmental Law and the Permit Process at Paul Smith’s College’s night school programs for five years. He taught for several years under the joint auspices of the U.S. Forest Service, state Department of Environmental Conservation and Sir Sanford Fleming College in Canada. He was awarded the “Silver Smokey Award” by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Advertising Council for his work in forest fire prevention. He retired in June of 1995. He participated in several musical comedy stage shows in Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Malone.
He introduced the North County to the Salute Military Golf Association (SMGA-NY). He organized golf clinics and tournaments for New York wounded warriors. Thanks to the expertise of local golf professionals, over 100 combat-wounded were taught to “swing the sticks,” thereby aiding in their rehabilitation.
He was a member of the board of directors for Homeward Bound Adirondacks; a life member of American Legion Post 219, Malone, where he held the position of post historian; VFW Post 1231, Canton, past commander; AMVETS Post 8, Malone, U.S. Submarine Veterans Inc., Albany/Saratoga base. He was a past president of Malone Kiwanis Club, past base commander U.S. Submarine Veterans, founder and regional manager of the SMGA-NY, North Country rep, “Clear Path for Veterans,” and enjoyed woodworking.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda Murtagh Dorchak; a stepdaughter, Amy Murtagh Cantin and her husband Rick of Mansfield, Massachusetts; four children, Marilyn Goulet and her husband Steven of Henderson, Nevada, Frank Dorchak III, and his wife Laura of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Christopher Dorchak of Henderson, Nevada, and Gregory Dorchak and his wife Carmen of Austin, Texas; two grandchildren, Alek and Nichole both of Austin, Texas; a brother Richard Dorchak and his wife Eileen of Las Vegas, Nevada; close family buddy Jason Casselman of Moira; and his faithful yellow lab bodyguard, Captain Woody Morgan, who was constantly at his side.
Memorial contributions can be made to Homeward Bound Adirondacks Building Fund at P.O. Box 1100, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 or at homewardboundadirondacks.org. Condolences may be made online at fraryfuneralhomes.com.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, November 17, 1969
YOUNG HUNTER LOST, FOUND
A Plattsburgh University student, Glenn Peoples, hunting in the Tongue Peninsula-Spitfire Lake area Sunday afternoon, be came separated from his party and was found by the Saranac Lake Forest Ranger, Frank Dorchak, and volunteers at 9:15 that evening.
When Peoples did not show up at nightfall, Art Fleury, his hunting partner, and Bill Hall of Paul Smiths began searching the log roads and area where he was last seen.
At 7:30 Bob Jaquis, of Paul Smiths, notified the ranger who after meeting with the search party consisting of Jaquis his son, Charles Martin, and Bill Hall left in a boat from the Trevor camp on Spitfire Lake in company with Bob Rottner, caretaker of the Trevor camp, and found the lost hunter at a campsite at a private lean-to east of the Sawyer camp on Spitfire Lake. On the way back to the Trevor camp, Fluery who had been searching along the shore, was picked up.
