Lolita Ramona Binford

A professional scientist and amateur artist, she was an active supporter of education, social justice, and environmental protection who loved to travel and to spend time with children. She adored her husband Jesse, who survives her. They were married for 58 years.

Lolita was born in Chicago on September 5, 1928. She earned a BA in General Science from the State University of Iowa in 1949, an MS in Bacteriology from the University of New Mexico in 1952, and then – at the age of 62 – a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of South Florida in 1990.

Lolita and Jesse married on June 8, 1955, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and made their home in Austin; Stockton, California; and Tampa, Florida (where they lived for over 40 years). They also worked abroad in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for a year; in Lund, Sweden for more than a year; and in London for four months. In 2004 they moved to Austin to be near their grandchildren.

In addition to raising two sons, Lolita worked as a microbiologist in a number of hospitals and research laboratories between 1950 and 1982. She was author or co-author of 8 scientific publications in her field, including her thesis, journal articles, and conference papers.

Lolita was an oil painter of landscapes and urban scenes. Red was her favorite color.

She was a passionate advocate for social justice and volunteered for many years with Head Start, SERRV, her local United Church of Christ (Congregational), the League of Women Voters, and other organizations. She was a loyal donor to dozens of charities during her life.

She is survived by her husband Jesse; son Lincoln and his wife Nancy; son Jason and his wife Claire Barnes; grandchildren Emily, Noah, and Trevor, all of Austin; and sister Jolee Robinson of Silver Spring, Maryland.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 15, at 2 pm at the Congregational Church of Austin. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in her name to UNICEF-USA or to one of her other favorite charities, listed at https://sites.google.com/site/lolitacharities/