By Taylor Boyd
A longtime member of the Stuart Town Council, John “Mac” Deekens, attended his last council meeting in June after serving on the council for more than 20 years.
Deekens’ public service career started in 1986.
During a 12-year stint, he served two years as a councilman, two years as vice-mayor, and eight years as mayor.
“We moved out of town in 1998, and the town came and got us,” he said, and added he was approached to rejoin the council in January 2013, after the town annexed the area in which he was living.
Deekens said he initially decided to run because his business and leadership experience would be an asset to the town.
“The second time, somebody just approached me and I said ‘yeah, I can do that, but I’m not willing to be mayor, I’m not interested in doing that,’” he said.
Serving on the council gave Deekens an education and appreciation about the innerworkings of local government, which he otherwise may not have received.
“When we first moved here in 1978, I looked at it, and I couldn’t really understand the need for a town,” he said, but as time went on, Deekens said it became evident that the town was providing services like water, sewage, and trash pick-up that the county wasn’t interested in doing.
“So, it meant that if the town had not been incorporated, it would have been a little bit more disjointed,” he said.
Standout events in his career include working on community development block grants for renovations on Mayo Court, Chestnut Street, and the Downtown area, and the extension of some of the town’s water and sewar lines.
Deekens lists working with the council members to improve the town as among the most memorable moments of his tenure.
“I’ve just been blessed to serve with so many different people, and I’ve gotten to learn a lot more about the town, and the county for that matter, just by being exposed to these folks who have lived here their whole lives,” he said. “I don’t think I ever had an experience with anybody on the council that I came away from wishing I hadn’t.”
Deekens also enjoyed the after-meeting socializing.
“That’s just the nature of it, if you really like the people you’re working with or serving with, then it makes it a whole lot easier. It also makes it easier when you have to make tough decisions, because you respect everybody that you’re serving with,” he said.
Deekens is moving to Northern Virginia to live in a 55+ community to be closer to his family. He is looking into joining some of the clubs the community offers and reengaging with one of the Rotary Clubs in the area. Deekens is also considering using his alumni status to access some of the online classes offered at William & Mary College.
Deekens said his wife best sums up their move.
“She says ‘we’re not anxious to leave this community, we’re not excited about leaving this community. We love the way we live and we love the people that are here, but it’s just time for us in our life to make this decision and we’re excited about where we’re going, but we’re certainly not excited about where we’re leaving,’” he said.
Town Attorney Christopher Corbett said the council has a limited number of days to appoint someone to fill Deekens’ vacant spot on the council for the remainder of the four-term. If it does not, the Patrick Circuit Court can appoint someone to the position.
