John Desira, founder and chairman of East Anglian dealer group Desira Group, has died on the age of 78.
Born in Tunis to a Maltese family, Desira moved to London together with his family on the age of 12, and after leaving school qualified as a mechanic with Henlys Jaguar in London.
In 1972 he moved with wife Susan and his brothers from London to Norfolk, where he founded Desira. Together together with his family, over the course of 5 a long time, he built the business from a single small garage in South Lopham into one among East Anglia’s leading family-owned motor groups.
Desira Group said that Desira was “immensely proud” of the business and of his family, with 4 children and 4 grandchildren.
The corporate said: “John’s leadership, integrity, kindness and determination earned the respect of generations of employees, manufacturers, business partners and hundreds of loyal customers.
“His influence extends far beyond the motor industry, leaving a legacy of labor, loyalty and real take care of others that can proceed to guide the corporate for generations to return.
“He believed that treating individuals with honesty, respect and kindness was the inspiration of a successful business. He took enormous pride in seeing the corporate grow and was incredibly grateful for the dedication, loyalty and labor shown by every member of the Desira team through the years.”
Desira Group said that it could move forward under the leadership of managing director Stuart Stone, along with the Desira family and the broader management team.
The group will close all its dealerships and offices at 12pm on Friday, August 14 as a mark of respect, with Desira’s funeral going down that afternoon. Normal business hours will resume on August 15.
The funeral shall be at 1pm at St John’s Catholic Cathedral, Norwich, with family, friends, colleagues, customers and members of the general public invited to attend.
Donations in Desira’s memory will be made to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity at https://www.justgiving.com/page/john-desira
The corporate said: “On behalf of the board of directors and everybody at Desira Group, we thank all those that have sent messages of sympathy and support. They’ve brought great comfort to John’s family and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing and dealing alongside him.
“John Desira’s vision transformed a small Norfolk garage right into a thriving family business. His values built an organization. His character built a legacy. He shall be deeply missed and perpetually remembered.”
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
