Josephine Catena Bynder

The rich life of Josephine Lillian Catena Bynder came to its close on Friday, November 3, at North Suburban Medical Center Thornton CO, due to injuries caused by falling. Josephine was born to Pasquale and Livia Catena in Newark, N. J., on March 19, 1932. The 19th of March is St. Joseph’s Day on the Roman Catholic calendar, and according to tradition, Jo was given that saint’s name. The Catena business was an Italian grocery-butcher-delicatessen, where Jo was expected to work after school. Their apartment home was over the store.

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Douglass College, the women’s college of Rutgers University, the State University of N.J. with a major in psychology and the determination to have a career helping others through psychotherapy. Moving into New York City, she earned a Master's of Social Work at the Columbia University School of Social Work. She had a 15 year career in NY at Jewish Family Services and was Chief Social Worker at Mt Sinai Hospital before her marriage to Herbert Bynder in 1978. She then moved with Herb, a faculty member in public health at the University of Colorado, to Boulder.

Josephine worked at the Mental Health Center of Boulder County, Inc. (now Mental Health Partners), from 1979 - 1998 when she retired. She was the Team Leader for Longmont and soon became Assistant Director of the Center for the Plains including Longmont, Louisville and Lafayette, and later she was the Director of Adult Services for all of Boulder and Broomfield counties. Josephine was an excellent clinician and provided highly valued clinical supervision to many Center therapists and team leaders. She was deeply dedicated to high quality, public mental health services for people in need and helped build collaborative programs with the criminal justice system to prevent the incarceration of people with serious mental illness. Josephine was an outstanding leader and excelled in bringing people together to reach common goals. When she walked into a room, her optimism, vision, wise counsel, and delightful sense of humor brought comforting support, hope and positive direction to everyone.

Resuming her work as a psychotherapist in private practice, Josephine became an important part of the mental health community in the area. (Many grateful clients have testified to her skill in helping others.) Most of all Jo loved people and her compassion and understanding were always dominant. She also loved opera and made regular trips to the Santa Fe Opera and of course her beloved Rockies baseball. Jo sang soprano with the Boulder Chorale for 30 years and served the group well, as Board member, grants writer, music librarian, and founder and supporter of the Josephine Bynder Financial Aid Program.

Jo loved celebrations and we will celebrate her life on Saturday December 9 at the Meeting Room at The Bramford ,500 Mohawk Dr, Boulder, CO from 2pm-5pm. She specifically requested that donation in her memory be made to the Boulder Chorale at BoulderChorale.org.

By clicking the link below, fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared for the Bynder family.