Frank Joseph Novotny, Jr.

Frank Joseph Novotny, Jr.

January 12, 1940 – April 1, 2025

Frank Joseph Novotny, Jr. was born on January 12, 1940. Frankie was a mischievous child, often naughty, once locking his mother and aunt in a laundry shed. He attended Riverview School on Bellevue Boulevard and got his first job at age 12, working at his uncle’s printing and engraving shop. During high school, he worked at Bucks Shoes and then Arnold’s Photography. He graduated in 1957 from South High School where he said he had the time of his life. He was one of only six from his graduating class who went on to college.

Frank initially wanted to be a doctor, and he enrolled at Creighton University, where he was defeated by philosophy class and realized after working as an orderly at St. Joseph’s Hospital that he didn’t like being around sick people. He transferred to the University of Omaha and graduated in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree and a commission in the Air Force.

He joined the Air Force in November 1961 and began pilot training, learning to fly the T-37, F-102, then F-101, F-100 and A1E. While training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, he met a pretty young widow at the Officer’s Club and he and Gerry had their first date at The Islands, a popular tiki bar in Phoenix. Frank and Gerry married in 1967, and Frank adopted Gerry’s young children, Richie and Janice.

Frank volunteered for duty in Viet Nam and flew 175 missions. His job was to fly at 50 feet for 500 yards, as fast as possible, while “dispensing ammunition” and avoiding ground fire. When he landed from his final mission, his colleagues doused him with a fire hose as he exited the cockpit, which was the tradition, and toasted him with champagne.

After Viet Nam, Frank flew a desk, working in computer programming in Honolulu, where his daughters Nancy and Julie were born. He completed an accelerated Master’s Degree Program in Business Administration at the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1973, a year that he described as “hell.” Afterwards, Frank worked in Supply in Oklahoma and the Azores and joined the Military Airlift Command Inspector General Team as his final assignment with the Air Force. He decided to turn down his promotion to Full Colonel and retired in 1981 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Frank moved his family back to his hometown and settled in Bellevue. He worked for USPA & IRA (now First Command) and First Data Resources and did volunteer accounting work for the Stephen Center and the VFW. When he retired for good in 1997, he and Gerry moved to Wickenburg, AZ. They lived there for 17 years, spent two years in California and returned to Nebraska in 2016.

Frank was proud of being a “Bohunk” and an SOB – a South Omaha Boy. We like to think he is now trap shooting in heaven with his son Richie.

Frank is survived by his sister, Barbara Jean Humphrey, his wife, Geraldine (Costanzi), his daughters Janice Levinsky (Kip), Nancy Novotny, and Julie Richards (Brett), 10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial: Wednesday, April 9th, 10:30am at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Springfield, Nebraska, with visitation starting at 9:30am. 

Private Interment: Omaha National Cemetery.

Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler, West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Road, Omaha, Ne 68124. (402)-391-3900. www.heafeyheafey.com