Eliot Schechter

Eliot Schechter was born on March 13, 1934 in New York City, New York to Samuel Schechter and Philomena Scardaccione Schechter. He lived in New York City from birth until 1960, he then moved to San Antonio, Texas during his time in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1973, and finally settled in Oklahoma City after joining the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

Eliot had served in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1973, he joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard in 1973 and retired as a Colonel in 2019. During that same period in the OKANG, he also worked as an Invasive Cardiologist at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

He loved jazz, the color red, sailing on Lake Texoma, and laughing at silly puns and jokes. He taught us how to live, how to hold hands, how to say “I love you”, and he will forever be remembered as someone who stepped up and did the best he could do to the best of his ability.

He is survived by his wife, Jan Mentzer, his children, Eliot Theodore Schechter (San Antonio, TX), Stephen J. Schechter (deceased) and survived by his wife Alyssa (Boerne, TX), Eric Schechter (Salem, OR), Betty Schechter (Topeka, KS), Leslie McHendry and her husband Tony (Topeka, KS), and Brian Schechter and his partner Kalista (Oklahoma City, OK), his siblings, Alan Schechter (Cortlandt Manor, NY), Ann Ruth and her husband Lester (Fall River, MA) and Joy Seaman (Ossing, NY), his grandchildren, Nathan, Ben, Lennon, Blair, Darren, and Levigna, and his great-grandchildren, Hunter and Willow. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews, his caregivers Madonna, Tanner, Scott and Lisa and finally his fur babies, his six dogs and two cats.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers that you donate in his name to the American Heart Association.

A memorial service for Eliot will be held at a later date.