deane's retirement came a year after the death of his wife, norma ("née" greig). in 1994, he moved back to northern ireland with his partner ana de brito and worked with the belfast chamber music society. he settled in portaferry, county down, before moving to matosinhos in portugal. he died on 23 september 2006. "the independent" remarked in his obituary that he "enjoyed an energetic academic career [... and] left a trail of institutional and pedagogical improvements behind him". john turner wrote in "the guardian" that deane's career helped to "build a new musical heritage" in the united kingdom; he "was the urbane and politically adept director of music for the arts council of great britain during one of its most difficult periods".