Toni Brinker was the fifth wife of T. Boone Pickens, an energy executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded the natural gas and oil company Mesa Petroleum and ran the investment firm BP Capital. Pickens passed away on September 11, 2019, at the age of 91.
Pickens married Brinker in 2014. Brinker attracted some attention shortly after they got married, giving a clue as to the intimate aspect of their relationship. She told Forbes that Pickens was the “most flexible man I’ve ever known.”
Brinker and Pickens had actually known each other for several years prior to their romantic relationship. Pickens had been friends with Brinker’s previous husband, Norman Brinker. Brinker and Pickens divorced in 2017.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Toni Brinker & T. Boone Pickens Tied the Knot At His Texas Ranch
GettyT. Boone Pickens
Toni Brinker and T. Boone Pickens chose to celebrate their nuptials with a small ceremony. It was the fifth marriage for Pickens and the fourth for Brinker.
They tied the knot on February 14, 2014. The wedding took place at Pickens’ Mesa Vista ranch. It is located in Pampa, Texas, which is north of Amarillo. Pickens proposed to Brinker at the ranch in December of 2013.
NBC affiliate KXAS-TV reported at the time that wedding guests included Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his wife, Gene.
2. Brinker Praised Pickens as the ‘Most Flexible Man I’ve Ever Known’
Toni Brinker and T. Boone Pickens loved to travel together, according to a profile in Forbes India published a few months into their short marriage. Pickens told the reporter that he spent approximately 500 hours per year on his Gulfstream G550, traveling around the country.
Brinker quickly left her mark on the aircraft, literally. Pickens had her name engraved on the headrest of one of the seats.
Pickens also commented for the article that his dog, a Papillon named Murdock, had been instrumental in determining whether the relationship worked out with Brinker. The dog used to sit on Brinker’s lap just as often as he sat with Pickens. “If you can get your dog to like your girlfriend, you’ll keep your girlfriend.”
It was for this piece that Brinker also joked about the couple’s sex life. She said, “He’s the most flexible man I’ve ever known.”
A search of online records suggests that Brinker was involved with the BP Capital Fund during her marriage to Pickens.
3. Toni Brinker is the Founder of Operation Blue Shield
Toni Brinker
Toni Brinker is the founder and current CEO of Operation Blue Shield, according to the organization’s website. The name has since been changed to One Community USA.
The non-profit organization was launched as an effort to ease tensions between communities and law enforcement officers. The mission is described on the website: “Our comprehensive cause-minded community engagement programs unite, raise awareness and foster positive relationships between first responders and citizens living in the communities they serve and protect. Our programs address needs in education, health, second chance opportunities, civic engagement, safety and citizen advocacy and are the building blocks to creating safe, secure neighborhoods leading to economic growth and a stronger America.”
4. Toni Brinker Was the Widow of Norm Brinker, the Founder of Chilis
Toni Brinker
Toni Chapman Brinker was married three times before tying the knot with T. Boone Pickens. Her third husband was Norman Brinker, the founder of the restaurant chain Chilis.
He went on to found Brinker International. According to its website, the company “owns, operates, or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 30 countries and two territories under the names Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy.”
Toni and Norman got married in March of 2003. They were married until his death in 2009 at the age of 78.
5. Toni Brinker Says She Came From ‘Humble Beginnings’ & Is Commited to Philanthropy
Toni Chapman Brinker Pickens was born on Sep. 20, 1949. In a 2015 interview (embedded above), Brinker explained that she was born in Davenport, Iowa. She said the family first moved to Plainview, Texas, and then settled in Alabama when she was in 3rd grade.
Brinker said that her father worked as a chiropractor. She joked that chiropractors, in those times, “were akin to witch doctors.” Brinker added that she often tried to avoid answering the question when others would ask her what her father did for a living. In talking about her childhood, she described her upbringing as having been “humble.”
Brinker explained that she had always been motivated to give back as much as she could. According to her LinkedIn profile, Brinker says she is a “founding member of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, serves on the advisory boards of Dallas Habitat for Humanity, the Baylor Health Care System Foundation, Texas Heart Institute, Amegy Bank-Dallas, and Oklahoma State University.”
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