Written & Submitted by DVT (01/2006); Transcribed & Edited by Sarah Eller (04/2006); Reformatted by JS (01/2010)
Career
- 1942-1944: Driver, Airline Cartage Company
- 1944-1946: Private First Class Truck Driver, Army
- c. late 1940s: earned a service-training certificate from Ford.
- 1958: Accredited Carter Carburetor Serviceman
- 1959-1960: Hobby Shop owner, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- 1966, 1987-88: AMA Contest Director
Awards
- 1965: Detroit News Michigan Exchange Clubs Award
- 1966: Lifetime Membership, Canadian Forest City Flyers
- 1969: Michigan Radio Control Club Open, 2nd place, Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI)-sponsored event
- 1969: Testers Award for Perfection in Finishing & Paint
- 1979-1981: AMA Superior Service Award
- 1981: Canadian Nationals, Expert category, fifth place
Leonard D. Roe, one of six children, was born July 24, 1926 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Frank and Maggie Roe.
In 1942, to support the war effort, Roe worked for Airline Cartage Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan hauling aircraft and truck parts. Joining the Army on November 9, 1944, Roe served as a Private First Class, driving all types of army trucks and transporting personnel, supplies, and equipment. After leaving the army in 1946, Roe earned a service-training certificate for Ford Auto transmission troubleshooting, repair, and overhaul. In May 1958, Roe was an accredited Carter Carburetor Serviceman. From 1959 to 1963, Roe owned his own hobby shop, the first of its kind in the area, mixing in sporting goods to make the shop successful. His own designs included a battery monitor.
An interest stemmed from his career as a mechanic, Roe used these skills to design his own model airplanes. Competing in various competitions in Michigan, Canada and the AMA’s NATS, Roe used his own expertise to pioneer the modeling world in the Grand Rapids region. Roe aided the Grand Rapids area in his acceptance as the first president and founder of the Grand Rapids Radio Control Club. The Forest City Flyers, a Canadian club, honored Roe with a lifetime membership in 1966. That same year Roe earned an alternate spot on the American Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Team.
Leonard Dean Roe, with his radio-controlled My Try.
Leonard Dean Roe’s radiocontrolled Reactor with Pro Line transmitter.
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