Rick Case

Known as a catalyst in the automotive industry, Rick Case, the founder and CEO of The Rick Case Automotive Group, died Monday September 21 2020 at age 77. He died at home surrounded by his family after a short battle with cancer, a spokeswoman said. Case’s auto empire has been in business for 59 years and produces more than $1 billion in annual sales, employing more than 1,200 people. Case and his wife Rita opened 16 dealerships in Cleveland, Atlanta and South Florida. The couple has donated and raised more than $100 million for charitable and educational organizations, including Nova Southeastern University in Davie and Broward County Boys & Girls Clubs, where they have been board members since 1986. They raised more than $50 million for the clubs, and in 2011 were honored as National Medallion Award Winners by the Boys and Girls Club of America, the highest honor given by the National Office of the Boys and Girls Clubs to any individual. Every holiday season since 1982, they threw their efforts into their Rick Case Bikes for Kids program to make sure more than 100,000 children received bicycles during the holidays. Rick Case started his automotive career selling cars from his parents' front yard in high school, opening his first dealership in 1962. Rita Case was general manager of her parents' auto dealership after college. They met at a Honda automobile convention in 1977 and made South Florida their home in 1985. The Cases have been partners in business since they married in 1980 and have three children, Rick, Ryan and Raquel.