Ron Joyce
Ronald Vaughan Joyce | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | January 31, 2019 (aged 88) Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Co-establishing Tim Hortons; philanthropy |
Ronald Vaughan Joyce (October 19, 1930 – January 31, 2019) was a Canadian businessman and billionaire who co-established the Tim Hortons doughnut franchise, partnering with Tim Horton as the initial franchisee in 1964.
After Tim Horton's passing, Joyce was instrumental in founding the Tim Horton Children's Camps and Foundation. Honored for his entrepreneurial achievements and charitable efforts, he was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada in 1992 in recognition of his commitment to helping disadvantaged children and youth.
Early life and career
Joyce was born in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, and relocated to Hamilton, Ontario at age 16 in search of improved prospects. He held several jobs before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Navy in 1951 as a wireless operator. In 1956, he joined the Hamilton Police Service, serving until 1965. Notably, during his tenure as a police officer, he assisted in delivering a baby while on duty.
In 1963, Joyce ventured into the food-service sector by acquiring a Dairy Queen franchise in Hamilton. After being declined a second Dairy Queen franchise license, he chose to open a coffee shop upon noticing a "For Sale" sign.
He formed a partnership with Tim Horton in 1967 to franchise the coffee business. Following Horton's fatal car accident in 1974, Joyce purchased Horton’s stake for approximately $1 million and assumed full ownership of Tim Hortons.
Joyce expanded the enterprise by recruiting management staff and pursuing aggressive franchising from the late 1970s through the 1990s. In the early 1990s, franchisee Danny Murphy suggested merging Tim Hortons locations with Wendy's outlets. Both Joyce and Wendy's founder Dave Thomas attended the inaugural combined store launch.
The merger between Wendy's and Tim Hortons occurred in 1995, with Joyce becoming the largest shareholder of the merged entity; they eventually parted ways.
Retirement
Joyce ultimately divested his Wendy's shares and stepped down from daily management but remained engaged through his holding company, Jetport Inc., which oversees substantial holdings in real estate, aviation, and commercial ventures.
In 2000, he inaugurated Fox Harb'r Golf Resort & Spa, a luxury five-star, four-diamond resort featuring a gated community. The resort includes an airport constructed to replace the nearby Tatamagouche Airport.
In 2006, Joyce released his autobiography titled Always Fresh: The Untold Story of Tim Hortons by the Man Who Created a Canadian Empire.
Charitable contributions and awards
Motivated by his own difficult upbringing, Joyce concentrated his philanthropic efforts on aiding underprivileged youth across Canada.
He established the Tim Horton Children's Foundation, which annually provides camp experiences for disadvantaged children. For these contributions, he earned the Gary Wright Humanitarian Award in 1991 and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 1992. After divesting from Tim Hortons, he created the Joyce Family Foundation to support children’s social, economic, and emotional development. By 2017, his total donations exceeded $52 million to colleges and universities throughout Atlantic Canada. The foundation has also made widespread contributions nationwide, garnering numerous philanthropy accolades for Joyce.
He has been awarded honorary doctorates from seven Canadian institutions including Mount Allison University, McMaster University, Cape Breton University, University of Calgary, Queen’s University, Saint Mary’s University, and University of New Brunswick. In addition, he received McGill University's Management Achievement Award in 1994 and was honored with the Canadian Franchise Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. Joyce was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 1999 and named Entrepreneur of the Year for both Ontario and Canada that same year. In 2005, he was presented with the Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Award for his sustained support of education and health programs.
Personal life
Joyce experienced two marriages, both of which ended in divorce. His son, Ron Jr., wed Jeri-Lyn, the eldest daughter of Tim Hortons' founder; together, they managed four Tim Hortons locations in southern Ontario until their retirement in 2023.
On November 11, 2007, Joyce was involved in a crash involving a Bombardier Global 5000 business jet at the airport of Fox Harb'r Resort. He survived the accident but suffered fractures to two vertebrae.
In May 2011, a woman accused Joyce of sexual assault at his residence in Burlington. The matter was resolved with an out-of-court settlement amounting to $50,000. The case reemerged in 2017 when Joyce’s attorneys attempted to have it dismissed, but the court required the case to proceed to trial.
By 2017, Joyce’s fortune was estimated to be approximately US$1.4 billion. He passed away at his home in Burlington on January 31, 2019, at the age of 88.