Obituary of Richard Binnall

Richard N. Binnall, the first Recreation Director for the Town of Burlington, passed away after a long battle with cancer on Saturday, May 19 at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center. He was 65 years old. Dick was born, raised and educated in Gardner, the son of the late Richard and Blanche Binnall. He was a graduate of Gardner High School, and in 1964, and received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he was a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. Dick will be remembered as a hard working man, who gave of himself to improve the quality of life of others. In 1965 Dick became the first Recreation Director for the Town of Burlington. He fought hard to gain appropriate funding to expand the scope of the Recreation Department. During his reign, the Recreation Department had the largest recreation sponsored basketball program in the state. He oversaw the introduction of the youth ski program, Club Simonds day camp, a summer day camp for retarded children, and countless other programs offered to the residents of Burlington. The Recreation Department grew from a work force of 21 people offering 7 programs to a workforce of 194 people and a countless number of programs for all ages in the town. The Burlington Recreation Department is one of the finest in the State because of people like Dick who wanted Burlington to be the best place to live in the State of Massachusetts. Dick had a numerous list of activities, interests, and achievements during his life. He was the Past President and a long time member of the Burlington Rotary Club, Past President of the Mystic Valley Association for Retarded Children, Babe Ruth Baseball Coach, Burlington Town Meeting member, Owner and President of B & B Building Services, and Former Director of the M.D.C. Middlesex Fells Division. He fulfilled his life’s dream by becoming the owner of the Ocean Breeze Stable in Prince Edward Island, Canada. He and his wife Mary Lou enjoyed many summers racing their standardbred horses. Dick was also a big fan of the Boston Red Sox. Most importantly to Dick, he was the beloved husband for 37 years of Mary Lou (Scanlan) Binnall. He was also the father of James M. “Jamie” Binnall of San Diego and Timothy P. “Tim” Binnall of Burlington. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Wednesday, May 23 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Tuesday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery.