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Timothy Eaton died at his Toronto home on January 31st 1907, of Pneumonia at the age of 73. He was born in Portglenone, Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1834.  
 
The first department store that he opened at Yonge and Queen Streets in December 1869 was not his first venture. In 1856, Timothy and his brother James opened the J. and T. Eaton General Store in Kirkton, Ontario, near Stratford.  
 
He had three sons, one of who, John, became the President of Eaton’s Department Store.  
 
Eaton’s ran the Toronto Santa Clause Parade from 1905 to 1982. Following St. Nick’s sleigh was always a car with tinted windows that carried a doctor, nurse and back up Father Christmas in case the one on the float became ill.  
 
Timothy Eaton enjoyed horseback riding, but unfortunately during one of his rides in the beginning of 1907 he was thrown off his horse and he fractured his hip. He never recovered from this accident.  
 
Because he was a continuous churchgoer and he helped to build and donated generously to the Trinity Methodist Church, his family built the Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. The Church was opened in 1913.  
 
The Church now reminds its visitors and congregation of Timothy Eaton and how he contributed to Canada.  
 
Source: http://www.angelfire.com/ne/lliegirls/eaton.html