After six months helping to re-build post-war life in Holland, instead of heading to England, Deacon chose to accept passage on the first ship home to Canada.

He also continued his passion as an active volunteer, becoming president of the PEI Red Cross,[6] chair of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, a board member of Mount Allison University (the alma mater of his maternal grandfather, The Hon.

Deacon was deeply honoured when his service to Scouts Canada was recognized with his being presented with the Silver Wolf Award by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Florence and Donald loved going on walking and cycling vacations around the world, and had long felt that the closure would hold great tourism and community development potential.

[7] A standing-room only community meeting on August 3, 1989, led to the creation of Rail-to-Trails PEI[8] with its mission being to do what was necessary to convert the soon to be abandoned rail lines into a provincial trail system.

In 2000, then in their 80s, Florence and Donald proudly completed their Millennium Project: to bike 200 km on the Trail in each of Canada's provinces and territories (except Nunavut), making it as far north as Tuktoyaktuk.

This moving conversation, which Rogers often replayed as one of her favorites, included Deacon recounting a defining moment with a close friend in the final hours of World War II.

The two men agreed that all they could do was to go home, raise a family of caring individuals, contribute to the lives of others in their communities, and encourage everyone they met to travel the world so they could experience and gain respect for other cultures and people.

His friend started his Scout car, proceeded down the road ahead of Deacon and was killed instantly as his vehicle passed over an anti-tank mine.