In Honor of William P. "Bill" DeLuca Jr.

The entire team at our Haverhill dealership is saddened by the loss of William P. "Bill" DeLuca Jr., who passed away on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, surrounded by his loving family at High Pointe Hospice House in Haverhill, MA. Bill was a loving member of the community, businessman, philanthropist and dedicated family man whose imprints on the automotive industry are monumental. As one of his many great achievements, Bill was the founder of Bill DeLuca Auto Group. Everyone here at our Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep dealer in Haverhill, MA, is thankful to be a part of the DeLuca Family of Dealerships.

The beloved husband of Kathleen (Manning) DeLuca for 67 years, Bill was born and raised in Lawrence, MA. The son of the late Dolores (Roy) and William P. DeLuca Sr., Bill graduated from Lawrence High School, class of 1951. Shortly thereafter, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy, before being honorably discharged in 1954. Not too long after he happily returned home to begin a life with Kathleen, Bill became the owner of a local gas station in Lawrence. Soon, Bill's passion for cars would start to blossom.

In 1960, Bill started his first new car franchises: Jeep and MG. In 1965, he became the Dodge and Jeep dealer in Haverhill, MA. By 1970, Bill chose to sell his Dodge franchise and become the owner of a Chevrolet franchise, also located in Haverhill, MA. By 1975, Bill decided to purchase Woodworth Motors, a business he has continued to own. Bill was forward thinking in every sense; in the early 1960s, he was among the first to lease cars, and at one point, he was hired by Chrysler to train all their new car franchises on leasing.

Beyond running car dealerships, Bill also formed a daily rental company called Mr. Rent-A-Car-Lease-A-Car. This business eventually wound down and was transformed into Auto-Use, which specialized in providing subprime financial support to customers. As an offshoot of this business, he started a floor plan company lending money to car dealers in the U.S. And by 1995, he launched two more businesses: The Auto Auction of New England and Southern NH Bank and Trust (now called Bank of New England).

When he wasn't at work, Bill loved to be with his family, whether it was sitting down for a meal together, enjoying a family trip or getting together during the holidays. Bill greatly enjoyed being with his family and friends and had a passion for football. He became friends with a few early New England Patriots legends, eventually becoming a lifetime season ticket holder and going to every Super Bowl®. Bill's favorite charity was the Greater Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, a club that Bill was a member of at a young age.

Bill was dedicated to giving back to those in need, and here at our dealership, we want to continue to pay tribute to our founder by helping charities, nonprofits and other organizations that need our support. Contact Bill DeLuca Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram to learn how you can help us give back or become one of our partners. Want to share some of your favorite memories of Bill in person? Get directions to our Haverhill car dealership and speak with our team. We'd love to hear from you, as we look to keep his wonderful memory with us forever.