Toni Brinker at a 2013 press conference at Dallas Police Dept. Media Center to announce the Economic Partners Investing in Communities initiative.Brinker founded One CommunityUSA, a charity focused on improving relations between law enforcement and the communities they protect and was previously married to Chili’s Grill and Bar founder Norman Brinker and then later to
She died on April 7, according to a statement from the Board of Directors of One CommunityUSA. A cause of death was not released.“Mrs. Brinker, who died on April 7, 2024, with family members at her side, is warmly remembered as a visionary and generous leader who cherished the ideals of safe, thriving neighborhood communities — no matter the zip code — and a safer America,” thenonprofit said in the statement.
“With most of her work focusing on the North Texas region, we — and those she served — are tremendously grateful for the extraordinary improvements she made in the lives of children, adults and families."She started the charity in 2015 as Operation Blue Shield, but later expanded its scope to include reentry and diversion programs for formerly incarcerated people.
T. Boone Pickens and his wife Toni Brinker Pickens leave after a dedication ceremony at T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Dallas, Tuesday, April 18, 2017. including Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale and Chili’s Grill and Bar. Norman Brinker died in 2009 at the age of 78 after expanding Brinker International to include Maggiano’s Little Italy and Mexican-style restaurant On The Border.