Date of birth : June 27 1921
Deceased : April 2 2016
Biography Roy Schechter
Roy Schechter was born in New York City June 27 1921. He lived in New Jersey in his youth and childhood and graduated at the Orange NJ High School. Later he moved on to the University of Virgina where he graduated with a BA in psychology in 1942, while the world was in full rage because of WW II. September 1942 Roy Schechter enlisted in the US Army Air Corp and he received his pilots wings early 1944.
He was stationed in Italy with the 15th Air Force as a pilot of 4 engine B-24 bomber and he completed 52 combat missions with the 15th Air Force. Other task he competed in the US Army was to take care of the transport of mail freight and passengers from Africa to Europe. After the war he was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross for heroic achievement , Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters for meritorious service and 8 battle stars for participation in combat operations in campaigns of the Balkins, Italy,France & Germany.
Roy Scheckter moved to Florida 1947 where he opened a Porsche & Volkswagen auto agency in South Dade. As Roy had always been interested in sports car racing, and some of his clients were active in this sports, he soon started racing himself. He raced sports cars from 1957 to -1961 throughout the southeastern U.S, Nassau and Cuba. His greatest succes was a 2nd place overall in the 1960 Sebring 12H in a Porsche 718 RS60 (718-052). As owner of a Porsche dealership, Roy Schechter had an easier acces to the Porsche sportscars of back then. He raced regularly in a Porsche 550 Spyder, Porsche 718 RSK and Porsche 718 RS60 Finished 2nd overall in the Sebring, FL 12 hour race in 1960. That race, Roy Schechter teamed up with Bob Holbert and Howard Fowler. The race was won by Hans Herrmann and the belgian Olivier Gendebien in a Porsche 718 RS60 too.
Later Roy Schecter moved on to sailboat racing with a victory as a result in thethe 1960 Key Largo race from Miami to Key Largo. He started working as a stock broker in 1967 and continued that job until his retirment in 2001.
