Daniel Nicholas "Big D" DeLuca Sr.

DeLUCA, Daniel Nicholas, Sr., "Big D" Daniel Nicholas "Big D", DeLuca, Sr. was born in Hartford on October 18, 1939. Big D was the youngest of five children born to hardworking Italian immigrants Donato and Rose. After losing their father at very young ages, the DeLuca family struggled to survive in a single parent household. Big D attended St. Peters School and Bulkeley High School. Hard times for the DeLuca family forced Big D to forego his education and work full time in tobacco fields. At age 18 Big D marries beautiful Patricia Ann DaMotta and fathers four sons. Again Big D's life is plagued with the loss of his second born son and then fours years later, his 24 year old wife. Most people are unable to go on after such a loss, but Big D does so with love. At age 33 Big D married spirited Donna Lee Chapman and fathers two more sons. The family moved to West Hartford where they lived and raised their children. Big D worked very hard in his life for the Schaefer Company and Hartford Distributors. His great loves however, were his children and sports. In 1972 Big D was a founding member of the Sterling Six Softball League where he played for four decades. Big D volunteered an abundance of his time to West Hartford youth sports as both a coach and a mentor. His sons followed him to coach his favorite team in all of ball game history, the Midget Raiders of West Hartford. Sadly, in 1993 his wife Donna succumbs to breast cancer. In 1994 Big D helped his sons to open Tan Lines Salon in West Hartford. He has opened that salon every day for 12 years and considers it his seventh child. Anyone who showed up at the salon early in the day bore witness to Big D holding court and charming new and old friends alike. Without him Tan Lines will never be the same. To know Big D is to know that his proudest accomplishment and the lights of his life are his sons and grandchildren. His cherished survivors are sons and daughters-in-law, Nicholas DeLuca and Christine Stone, Vincent and Audrey DeLuca, Daniel, Jr. and Susan DeLuca, James DeLuca, Michael DeLuca and Angela Urciuoli. Big D's legacy dances in his grandchildren, Nick, Demi, Ryan, Taylor, Justin, Mckenna, Marissa, Sophia and Ravin. He will be lovingly remembered by his sister Toni and her husband Ed, as well as his nieces and nephews Karen, Karol, Charlie, Steven, Michael, Danny, Sandra and their families. It is this extended family that helped to sustain Big D in his times of need. He will forever be grateful. As sad as we are to say goodbye to our beloved Big D, we know that our loved ones on the other side have waited long to hold him close. For Big D's parents Donato and Rose, brothers Nicholas and Vincent, sister Agnes, wives Patricia and Donna and infant son Vincent, hold him close for us until we meet again. Calling hours will be Sunday from 4-7 p.m. at the Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Ave., in West Hartford. Funeral procession will be Monday at 9:15 a.m. from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian burial, celebrated at 10 a.m. at the Church of Saint Mark the Evangelist. Interment will at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Big D may be made to The American Diabetes Association, 306 Industrial Park Road, Suite 105, Middletown, CT 06457