Deacon William MacNeil

Deacon William MacNeil May 26, 2005 – November 21, 2025 It is with profoundly heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved son and brother, Deacon William MacNeil. Surrounded by family, he passed on November 21st at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center at age 20. Deacon was incredibly proud of the work he did as a Tire Installer. As a manifestation of his passion for cars, this work was especially meaningful to him. He was always more than willing to share his knowledge with others and to help his teammates learn things as he had. He had an incredible work ethic and could always be counted on to step up. Unfortunately, due to his Epilepsy he was unable to truly realise his dream of driving. His first love was cars, his second love was music (“Mom, why is your music sooooo much better than ours?!”), followed closely by “The Simpsons” television show. He had great musical intuition and feeling and loved listening to a very eclectic mix of genres and generations. Deacon had a truly infectious spirit, a laughter and joy like no other. He was the most incredible and reliable friend. It was his second nature to put the needs of others before himself. This care expressed itself readily in the deep and profound friendships he cherished so greatly, finding exceptional fulfillment in simply being the best friend he could be. His generosity of spirit and care for others carries past his mortal presence on this earth. His #giftoflife allowed him to save the lives of four other people. His generous donation means that four other young adults have received the #giftoflife and will go on to lead fruitful and productive lives when they would not otherwise have been able to. Honouring Deacon’s unbridled compassion for others, please consider becoming an organ donor and speak with your family about your wishes. Deacon leaves behind his sister, Madison MacNeil; his cherished parents Kathy Duncan and Paul Demy; his father Michael MacNeil, his grandmother Marlene (Norm), his aunts Jean (Wayne Doan) and Debbie (Brett Mitchell) and his beloved friends Emily and Ray Rietveldt; as well as his many extended family, friends, colleagues and teachers. A Celebration of Deacon’s life will follow at a later date. Donations in Deacon’s name may be made to Epilepsy York Region, Trillium Gift of Life, or Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.