Robert G. Eaton
{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bob Eaton
| image =
| caption =
| office = Ontario MPP
| term_start = 1975
| term_end = 1985
| predecessor = New riding
| successor = Doug Reycraft
| constituency = Middlesex
| term_start1 = 1971
| term_end1 = 1975
| predecessor1 = Kenneth Bolton
| successor1 = Riding abolished
| constituency1 = Middlesex South
| party = Progressive Conservative
| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|06|23}}
| birth_place = Woodstock, Ontario
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|01|07|1937|06|27}}
| death_place = London, Ontario
| profession = Farmer
| spouse =
| children =
}}
Robert Gordon Eaton (June 23, 1937 – January 7, 2009) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the government of William Davis.
Background
He was born in Woodstock, Ontario, and educated at the Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology. He was a member of his local school board from 1964 to 1966, and a director of Missouri Mutual Fire Insurance.
Politics
Eaton was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1971 provincial election, defeating New Democratic Party MPP Kenneth Bolton by 3,053 votes in Middlesex South.{{cite news |title=Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=October 23, 1971 |page=10}} He was re-elected for the redistributed seat of Middlesex in 1975, 1977 and 1981.{{cite news |title=Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 19, 1975 |page=C12}}{{cite news |title=Ontario provincial election results riding by riding |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=June 10, 1977 |page=D9}}{{cite news|author=Canadian Press |title=Winds of change, sea of security |newspaper=The Windsor Star |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0NtYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QlIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1444%2C1388326 |date=1981-03-20 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=22 |accessdate=2014-04-01}} He was appointed to Davis's cabinet as a minister without portfolio on February 13, 1982.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N14_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=UFMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=902,3690686&dq=george-taylor+davis+cabinet&hl=en |title=Labor Leaders Wary Of Davis Cabinet Shuffle |date=February 15, 1982 |newspaper=Windsor Star |accessdate=24 January 2013}} He was appointed to the additional position of Chief Government Whip on July 6, 1983.{{cite news |title=Shuffle gives Treasury job to Grossman |last1=Speirs |first1=Rosemary |last2=Stead |first2=Sylvia |last3=Cruikshank |first3=John |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=July 6, 1983 |pages=1, 2}} He supported Dennis Timbrell to succeed Davis as party leader in January 1985, and was dropped from cabinet when Frank Miller became Premier of Ontario on February 8, 1985.{{cite news |title=The Ontario Cabinet |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=February 9, 1985 |page=4}}
The Conservatives suffered an electoral setback in the 1985 election under Miller's leadership. Eaton was personally defeated, losing to Liberal candidate Doug Reycraft by 810 votes.{{cite news |title=Results of vote in Ontario election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=May 3, 1985 |page=13}}
=Cabinet positions=
{{s-start}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Bill_Davis}}
{{ministry box sub-cabinet posts
| post1preceded =
| post1 = Minister without portfolio
| post1years = 1982-1985
| post1note =
| post1followed =
}}
{{ministry box special parl
| post1preceded = Bud Gregory
| post1 = Chief Government Whip
| post1years = 1983-1985
| post1note =
| post1followed = Alan Robinson
}}
{{s-end}}
Later life
After leaving politics, he continued his farm operation, specializing in Hereford cattle, and launched his a real estate company, Royal LePage Landco Realty, with agents in Woodstock, Ingersoll, London and St. Thomas. Eaton served as the President of Woodstock and Ingersoll Real Estate Board.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} During his last years, Eaton was an advocate for cancer patients, pushing for cancer drug coverage under OHIP. Eaton died in January 2009, after a battle with cancer. He was 71 years old.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?Date=2010-06-02#P945_167902 Tribute in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario], June 2, 2010.
- {{Ontario MPP biography|id=robert-gordon-eaton}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, Robert}}
Category:Members of the Executive Council of Ontario
Category:People from Woodstock, Ontario
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario