Frank E. McCarthy, 66, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), died Feb. 25 at the Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C., from complications in his battle with kidney cancer.

McCarthy was scheduled for retirement at the end of this year.

"The automobile industry has lost a true leader," said NADA Chairman Robert J. Maguire.

McCarthy was chief executive of NADA since 1968, serving as a steadfast advocate of dealer interests before the government and automobile

manufacturers for more than three decades.

He was presented the International Freedom of Mobility Award in a special tribute at the 2001 NADA Convention in Las Vegas earlier this month. When presenting the award, past NADA Chairman Harold B. Wells said McCarthy was

"the man who has done more for America's franchised dealers than anyone in history."

McCarthy received the Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1987 and in 1998 was named Association Executive of the Year by Association Trends newspaper.

Prior to joining NADA, McCarthy was legislative counsel to the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Rules Committee of the U.S. House of

Representatives.

McCarthy, born in Indianapolis, Ind., was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He received a law degree from the Georgetown University School of Law.

Bruce Kelleher, chief administrative officer

of NADA, will be acting president of the association until a successor is named in June, according to Paul Holloway, a former chairman of NADA and chairman of the search committee.

McCarthy is survived by his wife Patricia, children Kathleen Texido of Atherton, Calif., Mary Penny, Anne McCarthy, Frank J. McCarthy and Michael McCarthy, all from the Washington, D.C. area and 12 grandchildren. He also

leaves sisters Anne Ring of Mundelein, Ill., Mary Catherine English of Bethesda, Md. and Kathleen Heck of Newtown, Mass., and brothers James McCarthy of Rockville, Md., Kevin McCarthy of Indianapolis, Ind., Frances Elliott

McCarthy of Summit, N.J., and David McCarthy of Arlington, Va.

A wake will be held on Thursday, March 1, from 6 to 9 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 917 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. (at the corner of Montrose and Tildenwood Lane). A funeral

mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 2, also at St. Elizabeth Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation, 8400 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, or to the St. Elizabeth Parish School Building Fund, 917

Montrose Rd., Rockville, MD 20852.