June 2, 1965 - January 18, 2025
We are deeply saddened to announce the unexpected passing of Jeff Deas in Hamilton, Ontario on January 18, 2025, at age 59. Jeff is predeceased by his loving parents, Rev Donald and Ruth Deas. He will be missed by his siblings, Neil Deas (Sue), Laurel Moore (David), Margaret Shannon (Mark), and Catherine Hutchinson (Bill) and his13 nieces and nephews.
The youngest sibling of five, Jeff carved his own path in life, gathering a variety of skills, experiences and adventures along the way. He was born in Hamilton, and raised in Ancaster, Mitchell, and London, then back to Hamilton, where he lived for most of his adult life.
Jeff had many interests and hobbies. He loved vehicles, starting with a passion for cycling, then riding a motorcycle, and finally, cars. Jeff was an avid audiophile who enjoyed a wide variety of musical genres. For several years he worked as a disc jockey.
Summers in Jeff’s youth were spent at the family cottage in Tobermory. He was the only member of our family to become a qualified scuba diver, a skill he used in a summer job with Fathom Five National Marine Park, in which he participated in the mapping and monitoring of the shipwrecks.
At family gatherings, Jeff was a fun-loving uncle, always eager to play card games or soccer with his nieces and nephews. He was also our family photographer, capturing candid shots during our celebrations and giving us prints and collages of his photos.
Jeff was a language enthusiast (a “logophile”) and took great pleasure in learning about words and expressions (e.g. collective nouns like “a parliament of owls”). He enjoyed looking up the etymology of words, solving challenging crossword puzzles with his mother, and exchanging clever puns with his father, who shared his love of words and language. Also like his father, Jeff enjoyed being a member of the Masonic Lodge.
Jeff had a variety of employment experiences, including several years as an owner/operator courier with Loomis/DHL. Following that, Jeff changed career paths and became certified to teach English as a Second Language, which afforded him the opportunity to teach abroad, first in China, then in Colombia, as well as in the Hamilton area.
In recent years, health issues kept Jeff close to home.
Cremation has taken place. Jeff’s family will gather for a private memorial service. Memorial donations to Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated and may be made through the W. G. Young Funeral Home website. www.wgyoungfuneralhome.com