A Joint Statement from Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and the Providence City Council

Former Ward 6 City Councilman Joseph DeLuca passed away yesterday, July 1, 2012, after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Leslie and their three children.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Councilman Joe DeLuca," said Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. "Councilman DeLuca dedicated his life to the service of others and cared deeply about Providence. He represented his neighbors in Mount Pleasant and all who live in our city with integrity, dedication and humility. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time."

"I was privileged to sit beside Councilman Joe DeLuca for four years on the City Council. His passing is a terrible loss for Council members who served with him, and for those who are serving after him, as well," said Council President Michael A. Solomon. "There are numerous stories of Joe's service to his neighborhood and city, stories which engrained themselves in the Council, and became a model for public service. My heartfelt condolences go to his family and loved ones during this time of grieving."

According to his City Council biography, Councilman DeLuca was born in the small mountaintop town of Panni, Italy, in 1948. He moved with his parents, two brothers and a sister to the U.S. at age 10. They settled in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in Providence, where he lived ever since. Councilman DeLuca graduated from Central High School and served in the U.S. Army, receiving a Bronze Star and several campaign service medals.

Councilman DeLuca was elected in 1991 and reelected in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 to represent Ward 6 in Providence. He said proudly that he was committed to mastering the Providence City Charter and all the city's laws.

A self-employed contractor, Mr. DeLuca was very active in his community. He was a youth athletic coach for football and wrestling, was involved in several community crime watch groups, and sponsored Easter Egg hunts and community picnics for many years. He served as a member of the Providence Water Supply Board; as treasurer of the board for Providence Community Action Program (ProCAP); and as chairman of the Vietnam-Era Veterans Association.

"Councilman DeLuca served the residents of the sixth ward for 20 years, and he did so with honesty, determination, and a great passion for working for the public good," said Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6). "He kept daily office hours in our neighborhood, and made himself accessible to all residents. He fought tirelessly for fiscal responsibility and government accountability. Joe was my mentor, and a treasured friend, and I know his example will continue to inspire me and the entire City of Providence well into the future."