Eaton Co. Limited employed more than 70,000 people. Although Eaton did not invent the department store, nor was he the first retailer in the world to implement a money-back guarantee, the chain he founded popularized both concepts and revolutionized retailing in Canada. Death and legacy Eaton died of pneumonia on 31 January 1907, and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. He was succeeded by his son, John Craig Eaton. In 1919, two life-sized statues of Timothy Eaton were donated by the Eaton's employees to the Toronto and Winnipeg stores in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the company. For years, it was tradition for customers in both Toronto and Winnipeg to rub the toe of the statue for good luck. The Toronto statue is now housed by the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Winnipeg statue sits in the city's arena, Canada Life Centre (formerly MTS Centre and Bell MTS Place), in almost exactly the same spot where it stood in the now demolished Eaton's store (albeit one storey higher). Museum-goers in Toronto and hockey fans in Winnipeg continue to rub Timothy Eaton's toe for luck. His grandson was flying ace Henry John Burden. In 1985, his great-great granddaughter, Nancy Eaton, was murdered by a childhood friend, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, in Toronto, was erected in 1914. The town of Eatonia, Saskatchewan was named after Timothy Eaton. The ground of Ballymena RFC, originally the sports grounds of the Mid-Antrim Sports Association, is called Eaton Park. A school in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Timothy Eaton Business and Technical Institute, was named after him. It opened in 1971 for classes and closed its doors permanently in 2009. See also Robert Simpson (merchant) John Wanamaker References Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online External links 1834 births 1907 deaths Timothy Eaton Eaton's People from Ballymena Businesspeople from Toronto Pre-Confederation Ontario people Upper Canada College alumni Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Immigrants to the Province of Canada Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Burials at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto 19th-century Irish businesspeople