Philip Bianchini

Philip Arthur Bianchini, age 60 years old of Niles, Michigan; husband, father, grandfather, brother, artist, and model builder died unexpectedly Thursday morning, August 1, 2024 in the emergency room at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospitals Niles after becoming ill at his home. His family is grateful for the valiant efforts of the first responders, and the staff at Lakeland. His family also made decisions that will enhance and extend the lives of others through Gift of Life Michigan.

He was born on August 28, 1963 in South Bend, Indiana to Adello and Donna J. (Dreesbach) Bianchini and was graduated from Mishawaka (Indiana) High School. He continued his education at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, and studied photography through the Art Institute Pittsburgh Online. He was employed for many years as a technician at JMS Engineered Plastics, Inc. in South Bend, and has lived in Niles since 2002.

Phil had a great appreciation of art and transportation, and a unique ability of combining the two. He enjoyed driving – anywhere, anytime – and artistically enhanced his ’02 F150 with pinstripes that he added by hand. He was talented with pencil and ink, drawing on paper, and with an artist’s paintbrush; but his subject was usually vehicles and/or people. He had also mastered the classic style of Pointillism, using small dots – points – of paint to create an image, most famously practiced by Vincent Van Gogh; and now the basic technology used by television and video screens, and inkjet printers. More recently, he was learning the art of etching, trading the brush for a needle to scratch on metal plates through a contrast coating.

His favorite artistic medium was the three-dimensional plastic scale models of cars and trucks, beginning years ago with AMT boxed car kits in 1:25 scale. As his talents improved, he began to customize those kits with scratchbuilt parts, eventually building cars and trucks entirely from parts that he crafted.

On May 6, 2006 in Niles he married the former Patricia Ann Echevarria, with whom he celebrated this year the eighteenth anniversary of their wedding. He was sadly preceded in death by a 16-year-old son, Nathan Bianchini; and by his mother, Donna Hartford and her husband, Ron Hartford, who helped raise Philip.

Surviving family includes his wife, Pat Bianchini; his children Paul Bianchini of Michigan, and Cory (& Allie) Duncan of Indianapolis, Indiana; Pat’s children, Christopher (& Coreana) Dunnem of Middlebury, Indiana, Dena Dunnem (& Robert Hayes) of Buchanan, Michigan, and Kc Hatcher of Niles; grandchildren Camerin Dunnem, Raylee Bianchini, Kadin Dunnem, Stephanie Bianchini, Kay Hatcher, Aunna Hatcher, Hugh Hatcher III, Keegan Dunnem, and Henrick Hatcher; Phil’s father, Al Bianchini and brothers, Scott (& Carol) Bianchini of Warsaw, Indiana and Mike (& Char) Bianchini of Elkhart, Indiana; and several nieces and nephews.

The family of Philip Bianchini will receive relatives and guests to share memories and honor his life on Friday, August 9, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the AMVETS Post 1978, 1117 East Bertrand Road, Niles, Michigan  49120 - please enter across from Rural King. Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Online condolences and memories may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

Sixty years feels far too short, but Phil used his years well as he considered the world around him, and used his artistic talents to interpret, reproduce, and sometimes enhance what interested him. More importantly, he loved the people in his life, including his large, blended family, the grandkids, and especially Pat.