Rick Case, legendary automotive industry icon and founder of the Rick Case Automotive Group has died at the age of 77. Case passed away on Monday surrounded by his family after a brief battle with cancer according to a spokesperson for the family.
Case started building his highly successful auto business 59 years ago. Rick, along with his wife Rita Case, opened 16 dealerships spanning from South Florida to Atlanta, Georgia, and up to Cleveland, Ohio.
Case and his wife were well-known for their generous contributions to several charities, including the local Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. The couple has raised more than $50 million for the clubs and were honored in 2011 as National Medallion Award winners by the Boys and Girls Club of America, the highest honor anyone could receive from the national office of the organization.
Case’s love for the automotive industry can be traced back to his high school years when he would sell cars from his parents’ front yard. He opened his first dealership in 1962 and met the love of his life and future business partner in 1977.
Last year, Rick Case Honda won the nation’s top dealership award from Honda for the eleventh year in a row. To this day, his dealerships continue to embody the willingness, determination, and spirit that Rick Case always carried with him.
He is survived by his wife Rita and their three children, Rick, Ryan, and Raquel.
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