Photography by Victoria Gomez.
Dallas nonprofit and founder of One CommunityUSA, Toni Chapman Brinker died earlier this month at the age of 74.
Brinker died from lung cancer, according to a close friend reported by Culture Map.
Brinker, who once lived in New York, established Operation Blue Shield, now One CommunityUSA, to foster positive relations between law enforcement and communities. Inspired by witnessing an anti-police march, she dedicated herself to improving police-community relations. Among the organization’s key initiatives are Shop Talk, Pathways to H.O.P.E., Community Learning Centers and America’s K9 Heroes.
Originally from the Texas Panhandle, Brinker was deeply engaged in charitable and community endeavors, as well as business and philanthropy. She played pivotal roles in organizations such as the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.
Brinker was previously married to restaurateur Norman Brinker, chairman of Brinker International. parent company of Chili’s and Maggiano’s. He died in 2009 at the age of 78.
Following his passing in 2009, she represented Brinker International through various engagements and scholarship endowments. She later married oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens in 2014, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 91.
