Carving wood and pinning poppies, 95-year-old veteran keeps busy

He's been to war and back and now, Second World War veteran Rod Deon is whittling wood to pass time. The 95-year-old artist started woodcarving as a child, almost nine decades ago.

"It's a hobby. I'm an artist and I took designing in Toronto at Cedarbrae College and I'm a natural artist, I think," said Deon.

• Almost 50 years of pinning poppies for WW II vet Rod Deon

Others think so too. He has a Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal for a carving he did of Her Majesty after she got the crown in 1953.

"I saw a picture in the Toronto Star. I saved the picture and I carved it. Prince Charles sent me cufflinks for carving a picture of his mother," said Deon.

95-year-old veteran

8 years ago

Duration 2:19

He's been to war and back and now, Second World War veteran Rod Deon is whittling wood to pass time.

He's also done work for entertainment royalty a woodcarving for Walt Disney. "I carved Goofy, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse. Two feet by seven feet. I hear now that it's in Hollywood somewhere," said Deon.

Deon said he first started carving when he was about eight years old. He said after his teacher caught him carving Ivory soap with a knife, she gave him the tools he needed to work with wood.

It's been almost 90years but Deon vividly remembers his first carving.

"Mrs. Steele gave me a knife and a little chisel and a piece of apple wood and a picture of Roy Rogers on Trigger and I carved it." Years later, he said, he got a prize for that piece of art at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.

Signed up for duty

Deon said after carving for decades, he wanted a change so in 1942 he volunteered to go on a destroyer in World War Two. "I wanted to rough it up a bit," he said. "I sure did."

After the war, Deon moved to Toronto where he designed and built churches. He helped found Branch 617 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Toronto in 1968, the same year he started volunteering with the poppy campaign.

Deon moved to Newfoundland two years ago to be closer to his daughter, after his wife was diagnosed with cancer.

These days, he isn't carving as much as he used to. He sold a lot of his tools when he moved but still picks away at small pieces from time to time.

Deon said he'll continue to make art as long as he can, but said his most important work is helping veterans.