Mary Bindner

Mary Bindner, passed away on May 1, 2022 at the age of 92, while in hospice care at the Ridge at Pinehurst in Lakewood, CO. Her family and friends are deeply saddened that she’s gone but are certain that she left us with few regrets except perhaps that she was human and got sick of being old. To quote Mary, who was perpetually late, “I should have gone out the door 20 minutes ago!”
She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 4, 1929 to Lawrence and Carolyn Norem. Her sister, Nyla, was born two years later and the family lived in the Milwaukee area as well as in Hubbard Woods, Illinois. After graduating from high school in 1947 she went east to Northhampton, Massachusett (Woohoo, free at last!)  to attended Smith College where she studied liberal arts. She met Lou Bindner, during her time at Smith and they married on September 16, 1950 in Chicago, IL. She finished her education at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
She loved to ski and this was one of the deciding factors in their settling in Denver in 1954. They had four kids, Carrie, Eric, Gail and Mark. Mary was a stay at home mom, cook, bottle washer and taxi service for the herd and made sure that there wasn’t a dull moment in a day. She was a driving force in her family’s lives and very active in the community, as well. She was an election judge whenever the polls opened, an advocate for many causes, loved a caucus, a debate, a cause to be reckoned with.
Mary knew how to work tirelessly. She was a seasoned volunteer for the PTA at five Jeffco schools from 1962 to 1980. She was an elected member of the Lakewood City Council in the mid 1980’s during which time she participated in numerous projects that have helped make her beloved Lakewood what it is today. She went back to school in 1989 and obtained her real estate associate sales license. In the course of this career she made many friends and helped a lot of people realize the American dream of home ownership.
She also knew how to have fun. Mary loved to sing and dance, to swim and ski, to play tennis and bridge. She loved classical music as well as Big Band Era swing. She enjoyed the company of friends and family and was a fantastic entertainer. She was a member of Mountain Bell Singers who traveled overseas several times to perform in “sister cities”.  Mary was also a member of Christ Church and sang in the choir and was a member of many of the boards there.
Mary is survived by her four children; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren;  nieces; nephews; and many friends. She was predeceased by her parents; sister; grandaughter; and many, many friends.
Mary will be honored at a Celebration of Life open house at the Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park Country School building on June 12th between 2pm and 5. Please join us, if you can, to share memories and some laughs. Mom would love this! In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Mary’s favorite charity, the Lakewood Legacy Foundation, http://lakewoodlegacy.org.