David Minton, a Dallas native raised in Denton who returned to his boyhood home after a 32-year career in Washington, D.C., died July 17 in Ponder. He was 77 and had Alzheimer’s disease.
Minton was staff director and chief counsel of the US Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee and later served in the same position in the House of Representatives, part of a congressional career from 1962 to 1981.
After leaving Congress, Minton practiced law in Washington, representing the Magazine Publishers of America among other clients until his retirement in 1994, when he returned to the house his family built on Egan Street in Denton in 1941.
Eli Davidson Minton was born in Dallas on November 24, 1934, to Irene Mary Davidson Minton of Wichita Falls and Roy Quillin Minton of Sherman. He earned a bachelor’s degree at North Texas State College and taught public school in El Paso. Supported by his family, including his father-in-law, W.B. Woodruff, he attended graduate study at the University of North Carolina and finished law school at the University of Texas in 1962. Minton was a life-long advocate of higher education.
Minton was involved in local and national politics beginning as a boy. Inspired by President Kennedy’s call to public service, he traveled to Washington and was hired by Senator Ralph Yarborough. In the 1980s, he served a four-year term as a member of the Falls Church, Va., city council.
In 1956 he married Doris Woodruff of Decatur, with whom he had four children. He married Patricia Jordan of Hickory, N.C. in 1974.
In 1980, he married his wife of 32 years, Phyllis Pearson Minton of Dubuque, Iowa.They enjoyed frequent travel abroad, entertaining family and friends, as well as gardening.Twenty years ago this month he realized a long time dream of walking across the West Highland Way in Scotland. In Denton, he spent many years restoring the family home. He was a passionate piano player of Romantic compositions, especially those of Rachmaninoff.
In addition to his wife, survivors include brother Roy Q. Minton and sister-in-law Barbara Francis Minton of Austin; sister-in-law Linda Pearson Baker of Yuba City, Calif.; children Bennett Minton (Laurie Erdman) of Arlington, Va., Irene Minton Pham (Tien Pham) of Santa Ana, Calif., and Roy (Dawn) and Michael (Allison) Minton of Austin; nine grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.
The family would like to recognize Kind Companions, Zelda Loyd, Tracy Box, and Accolade Hospice for their loving care in recent years.
In lieu of flowers the family would like to suggest a donation to Denton Community Food Center, 109 West Sycamore Street, Denton TX 76201, or the charity of your choice.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Denton Women’s Club, 610 Oakland St., Denton, TX. at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, 2012.
