A celebration of life for DeVoe Automotive Group founder Richard “Dick” DeVoe will be hosted from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at DeVoe Cadillac, 4100 Tamiami Trail N., in North Naples.
DeVoe, 94, died Oct. 28 at his Naples home. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Barbara Jean DeVoe; his three children, Donald Paul DeVoe, Gary Richard DeVoe and Mark Allen DeVoe; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
After his honorable discharge in 1953 from the U.S. Army, where he served as a railyard master during the Korean War, DeVoe and his family returned from Virginia to Muncie, Indiana, where DeVoe was born on Nov. 30, 1928, according to DeVoe’s obituary published by Hodges Funeral Home.
While growing up in Muncie with four older siblings, DeVoe played varsity basketball at Muncie Central High School and Ball State University. As a freshman at Ball State, he also played semi-professional baseball for the Hagerstown Merchants team.
“It was while attending Ball State University in 1949 that he met Indiana University student Barbara Jean Downs, and by all accounts, it was love at first sight,” according to his obituary. “Dick would soon transfer to Indiana University to be close to Barbara, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business.”
The couple was married in June 1951, a few days after DeVoe’s college graduation. His lifetime career in the automobile business began after his service in the military. He initially worked for his two older brothers, Paul and Fred, at their used-car lot until he secured his first new car franchise at age 29 and became the Edsel dealer in Muncie.
Three years later, Ford Motor Co. shut down Edsel in 1960, causing the closing and buy back of his franchise. That same year, DeVoe purchased a Chevrolet store in a small town south of Indianapolis that began his 60-plus-year run as a General Motors dealer.
It was during this time in the early ’60s, that DeVoe and his growing family made Naples their new home while still operating the dealership in Martinsville, Indiana.
“Discovering Naples in the early 1960s was no mean feat. Naples was a small little village, with fishing and tourism being the main staples of the economy. But the move was not a business one, it was one born out of the idea that family comes first,” according to the obituary.
DeVoe built the Rustling Palms apartments in Old Naples and commuted from Naples to Indiana until selling his Chevrolet store there in late 1967. That next spring in Naples, he was awarded the Buick-Cadillac dealership, beginning Dick DeVoe Buick Cadillac Inc. in April 1968.
“At the time, 4100 Tamiami Trail N. was considered too far out of town, and most local businesspeople considered this a risky move. Under his leadership, the dealership that was once surrounded by palmetto and pine thrived as the Naples community grew in population. Over the next 55 years, the company expanded, and additional franchises and locations were added including Pontiac, GMC, Isuzu, Saab, Hummer, Subaru, Volvo and Infiniti. Today, Cadillac remains at the original location with Buick GMC and Subaru nearby and are all still operated by second- and third-generation family members,” according to the obituary.
Believing in giving back to the community, DeVoe established a scholarship program at Naples High School in 1969 to support high school seniors in their effort to attend college. It still operates today and has assisted more than 400 local students to reach their goals of higher education. The DeVoes also supported local causes, such as Naples Community Hospital— where they are the longest consecutive donors—as well as Youth Haven, Habitat for Humanity, St. Matthews House and many others over the years. In 2007, Dick was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame as a laureate.
“The automobile business was a perfect fit for his competitive nature, and that spirit carried over to his passion for tennis. He was a champion on the court, even into his 80s. He once said the secret was to be in better shape and outlive your competition. He competed on a national level in men’s doubles, winning a slew of awards including four gold, five silver, and six bronze awards at USTA National Championships. He competed in several Senior Olympics and won the gold medal in 2001. He was a fixture on the local courts for over 40 years,” according to his obituary.
In lieu of flowers, DeVoe’s family requests that his legacy of giving back to the community be honored by paying it forward with an anonymous donation to a cause close to your heart.
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Naples auto dealer Dick DeVoe’s celebration of life planned Sunday - Gulfshore Business
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