Remembering
Roy Boe
     Roy called his company Boe Jests. His wrap skirt, and a hefty push from our location in a boutique wholesale building at 550 Seventh Avenue, in the heart of the old New York City “schmatta” business, made Roy a multi millionaire when he sold the company to ladies hosiery manufacturer, Van Raalte.
     Boe Jests took off when Roy’s wife Deon designed a reverse pleat wrap skirt with two patch pockets on the front and started selling same from some cases in Roy’s warehouse when he was a food broker.
     From that start, came an A line skirt with a striped grosgrain belt that matched the stripes in a T- shirt top, and a clothing line was born and became big business.
     But Roy always loved sports.
     So we (all the salesmen) would go to a hockey game at the old Madison Square Garden and Roy would get a sky box and have the food and drinks brought in. We viewed the Spring or Fall clothing line whilst watching basketball or hockey.
     Soon Roy bought the Westchester Bulls, a NY Giant farm team from his friend, NY Giants Owner Wellington Mara.
     Just as the new Boe Jests Fall line was ready, off we went up to Colt Stadium (named for the pistol manufacturer) in Hartford, Connecticut, to watch Roy’s rather hapless Westchester Bulls and to view the new clothes.
     Of course, after witnessing the Bulls being pushed up and down the field by the other team (Harford Knights), I remarked to anyone within earshot:
     “That is the second lousy line we have seen today.”
     On the bus Roy smacked me square on the back of the head. My smart-ass quip stung all the smarter, as I recall, with the addition of the Bulls 48-0 loss.
     But it was the only time I had ever seen pro-football from the sidelines, fast and furious, and the memory of that evening in 1969 is still with me today.
     Everybody really loved Roy, and would march into fire for him.
     Roy died in 2009 at age 79.
Geoffrey