New England’s First Female Toyota Dealer Dies at 65

Remembering Denise Bruno, Trailblazing Massachusetts Auto Dealer, 65

Denise Bruno, a pioneering force in New England’s auto industry and a beacon for women in business, passed peacefully Wednesday morning, November 12, at 9:02 a.m., surrounded by family and friends.

She was 65.

Barrier Breaker in a Male-Dominated Industry

Bruno’s path was forged in a family legacy of car sales begun by her father, the late Jack Barboza, who “always put our mom on a special pedestal, his strong and beautiful daughter,” her daughter Jackie said.

After helping transition the family business from Barboza’s Auto World/Silver City, Barboza set Denise up to lead Fall River Hyundai, making her the first female-owned Hyundai dealer on the East Coast. In 1998, she added Toyota to the portfolio, becoming New England’s first female Toyota dealer and, the seventh female-owned Toyota dealer in the United States.

A billboard once celebrated that milestone; Bruno cherished it as proof that a woman could not only lead, but win, in the male-dominated industry.

Family members remember a charismatic leader, devoted wife and mother, and proud grandmother whose legacy opened doors for women across the industry.

Heart of a Leader, Heart of a Mom

Colleagues and customers knew her for warmth, charisma, and a gift for making people feel “loved and seen.” At home, she balanced business with motherhood to four daughters: Jackie, Erica, Nicole and Alexandra, thanks in no small part to the steady partnership of her husband, Tim. “They were a power couple,” Jackie said, noting that Tim slept at Brigham and Women’s during Denise’s final three weeks.

Sudden Goodbye, Enduring Legacy

Her passing came just six weeks after a sudden cancer diagnosis and exactly two months to the day after the death of her mother, Pat Barboza. “It seems so unfair,” Jackie shared, “but we are grateful nothing was left unsaid.”

Denise adored her grandsons, Jack and James, often telling them, “I love you boys more than life.”

Services

The family plans to have calling hours in Taunton on Sunday with a funeral service on Monday. Viewing hours are Sunday 1p-5p at the O'Keefe and Wade Funeral Home. Funeral mass will be Monday at 11am at St. Bernard's church with a burial following in Assonet.

Denise Bruno leaves a legacy of grit, grace, and doors opened. She is proof to countless women that a fully life of entrepreneurship and motherhood is ready for the taking.