Mr. L. James "Jim" Binder passed away Monday, May 23, 2011 at his home on Lake Michigan in Mears. Born June 21, 1926, in Jackson to Leonard and Ethel (Lilly) Binder, Mr. Binder grew up in Michigan and Northern Ohio. At 17, he left high school to enlist in the United States Navy, serving in World War II in the Pacific Theater aboard the destroyer Myles C. Fox. He returned to Michigan and entered Central Michigan University, where he met and married Margery Elizabeth Rose in 1950 – sharing the remaining 60 years of his life with her.

Mr. Binder was an accomplished journalist, beginning his career in the 1950s at several newspapers in southeast Michigan, including the Wayne Eagle and Pontiac Press. He also wrote and edited for the Associated Press and was the state editor of the Detroit News. In 1967, he moved his wife and sons Timothy, Michael and Douglas to Washington DC to become the editor-in-chief of Army Magazine. He and Margery retired in 1993 and split their time between Northern Virginia and their beloved home overlooking Lake Michigan near Little Point Sable.

During his career and in retirement, Mr. Binder also authored Lemnitzer: A Soldier for His Time, the biography of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later Supreme Allied Commander of NATO under John F. Kennedy. He also edited the book Front and Center: Heroes, War Stories, and Army Life and contributed articles to various distinguished publications. Mr. Binder received numerous awards including the George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation. Mr. Binder was a member of VFW, Cosmos Club, American Society of Magazine Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, National Press Club, Detroit Press Club, American Legion, Tin Can Soldiers, and the Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years and three sons; two sisters, Dorothy Binder and Jeanne Lawler, and one brother, Pat Harris; and by his grandchildren Richmond James Binder and Helen Rose Binder. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters,

Funeral services for Binder will be held Friday, May 27, 2011, at 11:00 am at King Funeral Home in Hart with Rev. Ken Vanderlaan officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to service. The family requests that any memorials be directed to American Red Cross.