William Philip "Bill" Binzel
January 2, 1956 ~ October 27, 2026
Born in:
Washington Court House, Ohio
Resided in:
Alexandria, Virginia
William Philip “Bill” Binzel, retired attorney, historian and, according to dear friends, the “fun adult” in any room, died after a brief battle with colon cancer at the age of 70.
Bill was a native of southwestern Ohio who resided in the Washington, DC area for the past forty years. In his professional life he spent twelve years on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives, eleven years in corporate affairs in the financial services sector, and ten years with a nonprofit foundation. His undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin was in US History.
Retirement provided Bill the opportunity to indulge his life-long passion: the study of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and specifically, Lincoln’s assassination. Bill happily spent hours talking history with other self-described “Lincoln assassination nerds.”
Bill served as Vice President then President of the Surratt Society, which is an organization dedicated to the study of Lincoln’s assassination. He gave guided tours as a docent at the Surratt House Museum in Clinton, MD and the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum in Waldorf, MD, and was a narrator of the Surratt Society’s twelve-hour bus tours of the twelve-day escape route of John Wilkes Booth from Ford’s Theatre to the Garrett’s farm in Caroline County, VA. Bill was also a past President and director of the Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia. He gave frequent talks on the trial of Mary Surratt, asking his audiences at the beginning and again at the end whether they thought Mary was guilty and deserved to be hanged. Often the votes would change.
While Bill took history and its scholarship seriously, he did not take himself too seriously. He had a wit and humor that was sly – almost subversive – but always warm and fun. He wanted you “in” on the joke and laughing along with him. He was inordinately proud of his lack of a social media presence, joking that no one needed to see him dance, cook a meal, or assemble a grill on “the FaceTube.”
Bill wasn’t only passionate about Civil War history. He was a diehard Washington Capitals fan, attending both home games and an annual away game for his birthday. With wife Lisa they visited fourteen different arenas over the years. Bill was also a collector: sixteen antique clocks, numerous coins, stamps, books (much to the chagrin of his wife), and hand-crafted pottery – mostly coffee mugs.
Bill and Lisa loved traveling together, taking wine tasting trips to Napa and Sonoma, the Bordeaux and Champagne regions of France, the Finger Lakes, and the wineries in Virginia; hiking the national parks in Utah and Arizona; chasing Aurora Borealis in Norway. Blessed with friends and family with amazing summer homes, they worked a circuit that took them to Sea Isle City, NJ, Lake Chautauqua, Little Compton, Rhode Island and the coast of New Hampshire/Maine.
Bill leaves behind his wife of 24 years, Lisa Reilly Binzel, his five siblings, Mary Black of Whitestown, IN; Edward Binzel (Diane) of Louisville, KY; Kathleen Bringardner (Timothy) of Powell, OH; Richard Binzel (Michelle) of Lafayette, CO; and Nancy Binzel of Stow, OH; as well as brothers-in-law Ron Reilly of Dover, NH and Ryan Reilly (Maria) of Spotsylvania, VA.
Bill was a beloved Uncle to 16 nieces and nephews; 8 great nieces and nephews, as well as an unofficial Turkish niece and her husband; a NJ niece; and the Boston Wilkie girls. Having no kids of their own, Bill was inordinately proud of them all and took great interest in their lives. He always left encounters with them with the same sign off: “Write if you get work.”
In lieu of flowers, Bill asked that donations be made to Alice’s Kids, a locally-based, national-in-scope charity Lisa has volunteered with for the past several years. He would love it if you took a young person to a historic site, learned its history and thanked the docent on duty.
And, please, go get a colonoscopy!
A funeral Mass will be held at The Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town, Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 10:30am, 310 S Royal St, Alexandria, VA 22314.
A reception will follow at Mount Vernon Country Club, 5111 Old Mill Road, Alexandria, VA 22309.
Services
Funeral Mass: November 10, 2026 10:30 am
Basilica of Saint Mary
310 S. Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-836-4100
https://stmaryoldtown.org/
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Dear Lisa,
My heart is heavy with the news of Bill’s passing. Please accept my deepest condolences, love, and prayers for you and your extended family. While words seem so inadequate at a time like this, I wanted to share a few reflections about a man I was blessed to call my friend for more than fifty years.
Little did we understand at the time how important Wawasee Prep’s cultural environment was a unique environment where friendships were forged that would last a lifetime.
Even at that young age, Bill stood apart.
As my prior email to Bill I shared, amongst our classmates, Bill was always the adult in the room — or perhaps more accurately, “the fun adult in the room”. He possessed a maturity, wisdom, and sense of responsibility that most of us would take years, if not decades, to develop.
While the rest of us weren’t necessarily trusted by the faculty with the keys to the kitchen, Bill was entrusted with the keys to the school car! While I was attempting to land my three-point jump shot in the gym, Bill was perfecting the landing his aircraft on a short grass runway. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about how much confidence and respect he commanded, even as a teenager.
Bill was academically gifted, but what distinguished him most was his character. He had an extraordinary ability to offer perspective, sound judgment, and sage advice, always with kindness, humility, and a wonderful sense of humor. He was someone you could trust, someone you could count on, and someone whose friendship made you a better person.
It came as no surprise to those of us who knew Bill in those early years that he would go on to accomplish remarkable things. His legal education, distinguished service on Capitol Hill, work alongside elected officials helping navigate consequential legislation, and subsequent years as General Counsel for Mastercard were all reflections of the exceptional intellect, integrity, and judgment we recognized in him so many years earlier.
Yet, Lisa, as impressive as Bill’s professional accomplishments were, I believe his greatest legacy is found in something far more important: the lives he touched, the friendships he nurtured, the family he loved, and the countless people who benefited from his wisdom, generosity, and kindness.
I know how much joy and fulfillment Bill found in sharing his life with you. Together, you built a life rich in love, friendship, and caring for others. What a beautiful legacy that is.
As I reflect upon our friendship, I find myself thinking less about the years that have passed and more about how fortunate I was that our paths crossed as young men at Wawasee. God places certain people in our lives who leave an impression that time and distance can never diminish. Bill was certainly one of those people in my life.
I will always remember his smile, his humor, his remarkable perspective on life, and, above all, the goodness of his heart.
My Catholic faith reminds me that death is not the end of our journey, but the beginning of our eternal life with our Lord. I take comfort in that promise and pray that Bill has been welcomed into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father, where there is no more suffering, only eternal peace and joy. (Not to mention, I and others will be counting on Bill’s representation when we are at the pearly gates of heaven negotiating our way in 🙂
Lisa, please know that you and your extended family will remain in my prayers. I pray especially that God grants you comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead, and that the beautiful memories of your life together will bring you moments of joy even amidst the sorrow.
Thank you for sharing Bill with all of us who were fortunate enough to call him our friend.
I am a better man for having known him, and I will forever be grateful for the gift of his friendship.
May God bless you, Lisa, and may perpetual light shine upon Bill. May he rest in eternal peace.
With love, prayers, and heartfelt gratitude,
Damian
Bill was always a gracious person who was always patient when Lisa and I were together, tolerating our inside jokes and comments. Lisa, do focus on all the good times as I know Bill would approve.
Stay safe and keep in touch,
Denise
Bill has been a wonderful friend and mentor from afar, on history, but moreover on life, since we met at a Surratt conference in 2014. He was as wise, witty and humorous as Lincoln himself. Bill had a vast knowledge and common sense. He was also a great narrator. Thank you, Bill, for sharing all this in many emails over the years. My thoughts are with his wife and family.
Eva E. Lennartz