Sonia Dianne (Dalton) Binder, 86, of Walla Walla, Wash. passed away April 30, 2021 peacefully, with her loving family at her side. 

She lived a long, full life, and was blessed with many family friends.  

Sonia was born July 15, 1934 in Burns to Truxton Dalton and Sue (Blank) Dalton. She had one younger sister, Kay.  They were not only sisters, but best friends – and remained devoted to each other and each other’s families.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Sonia began teaching at her first job in Madras, where she met Clayton Binder, “The nicest boy in town”.  In 1959, they were married at her parents home in Burns. The couple had four children; Thomas, Michael, Wendy, and Scott.

Sonia always put her family first, as she paused her teaching career in order to raise her children. The family first settled in College Place, Wash. in the early 1960’s, and then moved to Burns to help with her family’s distributor business in the 1970’s.  She resumed teaching, shortly after when her youngest, Scott, entered kindergarten, where she became his first teacher. All of her children eventually became her students at various ages.

She continued her career in education, in both Oregon and later in Washington, where the family relocated in 1976. She taught Kindergarten, Art, Photography, Publications, and other classes at Touchet, Wash. through her retirement in the late 1990’s. She is still remembered as a devoted and beloved teacher of many generations in Touchet.

The family farm in Lowden became home, as she raised her family, and pursued her passions there for nearly 25 years.

Sonia’s greatest interests beyond teaching, were travel, and her love of Scottish Terriers. Her travels were well documented in beautifully detailed scrapbooks she created. She spent countless hours at the family cabin at Tollgate, Ore. painting and carving, surrounded by her dogs, at one time she had 7 Scotties.

She was also the organist at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Burns during the family’s time there.

She constantly worked to expand her own education through world travel and her love of art – both teaching classes and as a student of many forms of art – including photography, toll painting, wood carving, and mediums such as oil, pastel, watercolor, and pencil.

After retirement, Sonia and Clayton relocated to the Oregon Coast, near Yachats. In 2005 after nearly 46 years of marriage, Clayton passed away, and Sonia continued to live at “the Beach” for another eight years before moving back to the Walla Walla area.

A special thanks to those who helped provide care to Sonia in her later months, and years.

Sonia is survived by her sister, Kay Garland; her children, Thomas (Louise), Michael (Darla), Wendy, and Scott (Rose). Numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Clayton, as well as the family’s dearest life-long friends, Hank and Lois Garbe, who she considered family.

She was a cherished part of our life, and will be dearly missed, and forever remembered.