When his children grew up and moved out of the house, Richard DeLuca, owner of Deluca Properties in Weymouth, felt a void. Rather than take up golf or another hobby, opted for a different path: youth leagues and high school football referee. Seven years later, he’s still at his “hobby”, officiating games all weekend during the fall. For that, DeLuca has been named the recipient of The Smiling Neighbor award given by South Weymouth Dentist Dr. Richard Wolfert, DMD.
“It’s easy to lose sight of the important role the officials play in our children’s sporting events. Parents can get pretty ‘enthusiastic’ during the course of a game and the officials can often bear the brunt of that. I’m guessing very few people say ‘hey, ref, good game’. And for a football official, you’re often performing that task in the cold New England weather. For that, Richard is a very deserving recipient of the Smiling Neighbor award,” said Dr. Wolfert, AKA “The Toothboss”, whose practice is located at 1121 Main Street.
For being selected as the Smiling Neighbor, Deluca had the choice of receiving a $50 gift card to Stockholders or a Sonicare Easy Clean model (he chose Stockholders).
“This is quite an honor and certainly unexpected,” said Deluca. “Refereeing has given me a much deeper appreciation of a sport I love, football, and how I watch the game. Some might call me crazy for choosing to be a ref in my spare time, but I think it’s an important role in shaping how the kids learn and appreciate the game.”
Deluca and his wife Susie reside in Hanover where they raised their two children Rico and Roxanne. When not tending to Deluca Properties and officiating football games, he serves on the Hanover Planning Board.
The Smiling Neighbor award is given out on a quarterly basis to citizens of Weymouth going above and beyond the call of duty for their fellow citizens. People can nominate a Smiling Neighbor by sending an e-mail of 200 words or less to toothboss1@aol.com. Please remember to include your name and telephone number as well as the name and telephone number or e-mail of the person they are nominating. Nominations can also be sent to The Toothboss, 1121 Main Street, South Weymouth, MA 02190.
For more information on The Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.
