Hubert Eaton

Hubert Lewright Eaton (June 3, 1881 – September 20, 1966) was an American businessman who is known for Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries in California.

Early life Hubert Eaton was born in Liberty, Missouri, on June 3, 1881, the son of James Rodolphus Eaton and Martha Elizabeth Lewright.

Career In 1912, Eaton and Charles Simms entered into a contract with Forest Lawn Cemetery in Tropico (now Glendale), California, to manage the sales of burial property. In 1917, Eaton conceived the "memorial-park" concept and Forest Lawn Cemetery was renamed Forest Lawn Memorial-Park.

Eaton's international connections enabled him to attract an incredible number of important art works to his memorial parks. He was well-known around the world as a collector and was respected at the highest levels of many governments.

Personal life In 1918, Eaton married Anna Ruth Munger, a divorcée who was previously married to LeRoy Munson Henderson. She had one son, LeRoy Munson Henderson Jr., who was adopted by Eaton and whose name was changed to Roy Munger Eaton. Roy Eaton was an executive with Forest Lawn in the 1930s and again in the late 1940s and 1950s.

On November 22, 1960, Eaton's wife died in Los Angeles, California. She was 75.

Upon Eaton's death, he was entombed in the "Memorial Court of Honor" in the Great Mausoleum in his Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale.

Roy Munger Eaton was cremated and scattered at sea.

Eaton's friend Walt Disney, himself too ill to attend, was an honorary pallbearer at Eaton's funeral.

Legacy In 2017, the Greater Los Angeles Area Council renamed a BSA camp after him: the Hubert Eaton Scout Reservation.