Daniel “Chubbie” Roche was so gregarious and outgoing that friends said he could connect with anyone he encountered. That skill led to him being one of the top salesmen for Laurel Mercedes-Benz in Westmont.
“He was able to establish a rapport with someone within three seconds and I am not joking,” said his friend Daniel Spiro, who is also a former colleague. “He never cared about the car business or the cars. He knew the business was all about people. He was very proud of the fact that he was able to sell cars without even once opening the hood.”
Mr. Roche, 55, of Lisle died Saturday, July 8, in Edward Hospital in Naperville from complications of multiple sclerosis and lymphoma.
One of six children from an Irish-American family, Mr. Roche was born in Cleveland, but the family moved several times when he was young. He attended St. Viator Catholic High School in Arlington Heights his freshman year but eventually graduated from Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J.
For three years he attended the University of Notre Dame, where he studied geology.
He met his wife, Deborah, at the World’s Fair in Spokane, Wash., where both were working in 1974. He briefly worked for Northwest Airlines before the couple moved to Chicago and married in 1978.
Mr. Roche found his true career calling at Discovery Travel, where he was a sales manager and tour agent for both local and cross-country tours catered to senior citizens. He went on to open his own company–Renaissance Travel, based in Downers Grove–in 1983.
“He loved it. He loved selling tours,” his wife said. “He loved working with senior citizens. He loved having an audience for all his jokes and actually having someone that would listen.”
By the time his children were born, he decided he needed a position closer to home, his wife said, and he joined Laurel Mercedes-Benz in 1985.
“His success had everything to do with the people he would have a good time with,” said Tom Flessor, sales representative at Laurel Mercedes and former co-worker. “He had a good touch with people, and that is what made him good. Dan was always one of the top salesmen.”
In the 1990s, Mr. Roche was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but he continued to work.
“He fought this thing fang and claw from day one. He worked absolutely as long as he possibly could. He fought using the cane. He fought using the walker. He never resigned to it, and he never gave up the fight to the bitter end,” Spiro said.
In 1999, Mr. Roche left his job and stayed home, where his audience became his children and their friends.
“My sons’ friends are telling me now how he was always their favorite dad and he was the favorite uncle. All the other adults would be inside except for him. He would be out playing with the kids,” his wife said.
“That was what was hard for him. He was always so active. He tried not to let it get him down. He was independent, and he took care of things,” she said.
Other survivors include two sons, Patrick and Daniel; a daughter, Meredith; his mother, Helen Mae Roche; two sisters, Maggie Roche and Ginny Smith; and three brothers, Bill, Bob and Tim.
A memorial visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until the 6 p.m. memorial service Wednesday in Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville.
