Obituary
David A. McClintock, Photographer, Founder of the Brandywine Photo Collective
David Anthony McClintock, age 81, of Ardentown, DE, died at home on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 after 6 years' hard struggle with prostate cancer.
A memorial service and luncheon took place at the Arden Gild Hall, 2126 The Highway, Arden, DE on Tuesday, October 28. David had two wishes for his memorial service: great music and plenty of roast turkey sandwiches -- his favorite. A grand piano was rented, the musicians were lined up, and the sandwiches were ordered.Born in Chicago in 1926, he was the only child of David McClintock, a photographer, organist and choirmaster, and Irene Knee McClintock, hairdresser and homemaker, who moved him to Philadelphia at the age of 1, where he grew up. At age 10, David became a professional boy soprano, winning a scholarship to attend the Episcopal Academy. As part of his choir experience, he performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and for CBS, under the celebrated organist and choirmaster Alexander McCurdy.
He enrolled in the Merchant Marine in 1944, training at Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy. He served in the Merchant Marine one year until the end of WWII. His career following the war was interesting and varied. Starting as a radio announcer in the South, he soon became radio and TV director for United Way in Philadelphia, and did public relations work for the United Jewish Appeal, Jewish Family Service, and the American Cancer Society.
During this time he began designing and building additions for homes in Arden, Delaware, where he took up permanent residence in 1952. In the early '60s he studied painting and sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and architectural theory with Frank Weiss, Philadelphia architect. In the late '60s David met singer-guitarist-composer Judith Kay, for whom he became manager, photographer and producer. Their long relationship led to marriage in 1988.
In the late '60s he also took up photography. That, along with assisting his wife's music business, became the main passion for the rest of his life -- both commercial and fine art photography, including periods as instructor of photography at the University of Delaware and Widener University.
Starting in 1995, he devoted full attention to fine art photography, specializing in pictures of people, landscapes and flowers. In 2003 David co-founded the Brandywine Photo Collective -- an alliance of photographers from Delaware and Pennsylvania devoted to creating and exhibiting new work.
David McClintock is survived by his wife, Judith Kay McClintock and sons, Robert Custer of Ardentown, DE, and D. Anthony Custer of Pittsburgh, PA; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mr. McClintock elected to donate his remains to the Humanity Gifts Registry of Philadelphia for the benefit of medical education and research. Please send donations to the ACLU of Delaware, 100 W 10th St, Wilmington, DE 19801 or to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, 125 Broad Street/18th Floor, New York, NY 10004.
The top photo is of David in May, 2003, being interviewed by Roberta Perkins for the Arden Craft Shop Museum. Photo by Danny Schweers, copyright 2003.