[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 33 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF ROBERT WALTER DEACON

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. THADDEUS G. McCOTTER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 28, 2008

  Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Robert Walter 
Deacon, a beloved coach and community leader, and mourn him upon his 
passing at age 78.
  Robert Deacon was born in Brooklyn, NY, on May, 30 1929. An 
accomplished athlete, Robert earned nine varsity letters in high school 
before attending Georgetown University and playing quarterback for 
their football team. When Georgetown discontinued their football 
program in 1953, Robert transferred to the University of Vermont where 
he played football and baseball, eventually earning a place in the 
school's Sports Hall of Fame for football.
  After school, Robert dedicated his life to teaching children the 
values he cherished including hard work, sportsmanship, and fair play. 
Mr. Deacon served as a city parks and recreation commissioner and 
became a fixture of the Livonia baseball fields and basketball courts 
for decades, where he often found time to heckle opposing players, like 
me. Robert coached his five sons in little league baseball and 
basketball from the 1960s through the 1980s. While very competitive, as 
a coach, Robert always made sure to stress sportsmanship among his 
players and helped them learn from their mistakes. Following his 
retirement Robert worked as a field manager for many years on Livonia's 
Ford Field baseball diamonds and on basketball courts at George N. 
Bentley High School and then the community recreation center.
  Regrettably on February 13, 2008, after a battle with lung cancer, 
Robert passed away. He will be remembered as a kind supportive man who 
was devoted to his family, especially his grandchildren. To his wife, 
Marjorie; his children Bob (Julie), Bill (Christine), Tom (Patricia), 
Tim (Caroline), and Kevin (Sue); his grandchildren David, Michelle, 
Andy (Christine), Jimmy, Peter, Hannah, Jackie, Mitchell, Matt, 
Caileigh, Rachel, Laura, and Charlie; his sisters Dorothy MacNaughton 
and Eileen Hartke; and to everyone who knew and loved him, he was a 
dedicated member of his community who will be truly missed.
  Madam Speaker, during his lifetime, Robert Walter Deacon enriched the 
lives of everyone around him by serving as an exemplary role model and 
teacher. As we bid farewell to this extraordinary individual, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in mourning his passing and honoring his years of 
loyal service to our community and country.