Edward (Ted) Slingluff Brinton

Brinton—Edward (Ted) Slingluff Brinton, 98, on September 23, 2023, at Kendal Crosslands, a retirement community founded by Quakers in Kennett Square, Pa. Ted was born on January 13, 1925, the son of Edward and Mariam Brinton, in West Chester, Pa. He was raised in the Chestnut Street Orthodox Quaker Meeting in West Chester and attended the nearby Westtown School, where he was on the honor society and captain of the tennis and swimming teams.

Ted was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in October 1943. He was transferred to the 89th Army Infantry Division and saw action in the Battle of the Bulge. Following his discharge he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., graduating from the Wharton School with a bachelor’s in economics in 1949. In June 1948, Ted married Joan (Toni) Ruth Zimmerman, a Quaker, who died in 2011 following 63 years of loving marriage.

Upon graduation from Penn, Ted joined the DuPont Company working on the development and manufacture of synthetic textile fibers. His career included management of manufacturing facilities in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Delaware. Upon retirement from DuPont in 1985, he spent four years as a management consultant with Reliance Industries in India.

Ted was an active member of Birmingham Meeting in West Chester for many years. He was cofounder of the Birmingham Peace Center and the Peace Garden at the meetinghouse. On many Saturdays he could be found participating in the peace vigil in front of the West Chester courthouse. He helped raise money for mine detectors deployed by the United Nations. Ted was highlighted in a Friends Journal article titled “Demining for Peace” (Apr. 2021) about the purchase of mine detectors.

Ted was a member of the Executive Board of Trustees of Pendle Hill, a Quaker study center in Wallingford, Pa., and also chaired the Personnel and Finance Committees. He served on the Personnel Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and Friends Fiduciary Committee. He was active with American Friends Service Committee as a member of the Peace Committee and headed its material aids program.

In 1970, Ted helped establish the Delaware chapter of Business Executives for Nuclear Arms Control. The organization led to the Project for Nuclear Awareness and similar initiatives. As a result of these efforts, Ted was awarded the Caring Business Leaders Award in 2004 from Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.

Ted served on the Birmingham Township Planning Commission and the Recreation, Parks, and Open Space Committee. He was a founding member of the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Center. Ted was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Brinton Family Association responsible for the William Brinton 1704 House, a National Historic Landmark, and was board president for 20 years.

Ted was an active skier and mountain climber. He worked one summer for the Appalachian Mountain Club located on the shoulder of Mount Madison in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Ted continued to hike well into his 90s, including in western United States and in France, Wales, and Switzerland. His most memorable climb was to the summit of Kala Patthar, Nepal, overlooking Mount Everest base camp. He was also a keen sailor and woodworker.

In his later years, Ted lived at Kendal Crosslands, where he met partner Phoebe Driscoll, whom he introduced to Quakerism. With Ted’s support, Phoebe became a much-valued member of Birmingham Meeting.

Ted was predeceased by his wife, Toni Zimmerman Brinton; and a sister, Martha Mermier.

Ted is survived by his long-term loving partner, Phoebe Driscoll; three children, Garry Brinton (Ricki Hurwitz), Gail Bryan (Caesar), and Chris Brinton (Lisa); seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.