If all you want to do is hunt deer with it, then the .25-06 is the answer. I live in the south, and the .25-06 works great. If you plan on hunting bigger stuff like elk out West, or think someday you might, then get a .270. The .270 is better if there's a chance you might hunt bigger stuff since it can throw heavier bullets. I wanted a .25-06 since forever, and now that I have one, and got a deer last year with it, I have grown extremely fond of it. Not to mention, it doesn't sound like you're getting any younger, and the .25-06 won't hit you quite as hard as a .270, which you may begin to appreciate.
And since your wife has stuck around for 50 years, and is getting you a dandy anniversary present, it would appear to me, as the old knight told Indiana Jones, "you chose...wisely!" when you made that decision 50 years ago!
