The new breed of ATCO's are nothing like what you describe.
Don't get me wrong there are some that still have the passion for anything aviation like from your day.
Unfortunately is now its just a job not an excuse to get paid to do a hobby.
I have even offered to take some up on maintenance flights, 2 hours of free lesson. Nope not interested.
Some the nly time they have ever seen the inside of a GA SEP is when they have seen a pic on the internet. And they don't have a clue what the instruments are for. But they will give you a stern lecture when you give them an altitude instead of a flight when flying at MSA above some lumpy stuff and don't realise that some planes only have one altimeter.
And the mil haven't given it up. They have just stopped having anything to do with it because they have no interest in it. And as nobody else is interested in it there is nobody looking after the traffic in it apart from an Area FISO. The only airspace civilian controllers care about is the airspace which they need to take there arrivals and departures through.