John Groth Sr., longtime Santa Rosa car dealer, dies at 92

John E. Groth Sr.

John E. Groth Sr., a Santa Rosa used car dealer for more than 50 years, has died. He was 92.

Groth, who owned Groth Motors on Santa Rosa Avenue from 1963 to 2011, died Nov. 13 in Lake County of a heart condition, said his son, John Groth Jr.

Over his career, which began after he returned from serving in World War II, Groth sold tens of thousands of used cars and trucks to Sonoma County residents, his son said.

“He loved cars and he loved people,” his son said. “He wanted to make people happy and he did. He made a lot of friends on the way.”

Groth was born in the Central Valley town of Fellows in 1923, but his family moved to Santa Rosa when he was young.

He graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1941 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps, working as an airplane mechanic in New Orleans. No enemy soldiers were shooting at him, but his work was dangerous, in part because it required he test planes while working on them. And sometimes they crashed, his son said.

“It was scary for everybody, he used to tell me,” his son said. “He said he was lucky to make it out of there.”

When he got out, Groth returned to the Bay Area, where he worked as a salesman at a Chevrolet dealership in San Francisco.

He married his wife of 67 years, La Belle Groth, and the couple moved to Santa Rosa, where they raised four children.

Groth sold cars for McDonald and Biddulph Chevrolet dealerships before going out on his own in 1963. He was known for treating people the same no matter if they were spending $1,000 or $10,000, his son said.

“He was an amazing guy,” his son said. “He took care of people.”

When he wasn’t working, he was an avid golfer and member of the Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club. His son said he was the first course champion when the club opened in 1957.

Later in life, he moved to Clearlake, where he took walks with his Boston terrier, Sami, and enjoyed cracking walnuts. He died at home, one day after returning from the hospital, his son said.

In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by daughters Kathy Reese of Clearlake and Kristine Katz of Sacramento. He also is survived by 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service at the country club will be held in January.

Paul Payne