Former University of Michigan engineering professor, 86, was ‘firm, reasonable and loving’

ANN ARBOR, MI — Engineer. Devout Protestant. Mentor. Brooklyn boy. Father. Friend.

John Bilello made the world a better place, his loved ones said, adding he cared for others and wanted them to do their best more than seeking his own fame.

“If he does anything and believes in something, he’s going to be passionate about it,” Peter Bilello, one of Bilello’s three sons, said.

The professor emeritus at the University of Michigan College of Engineering left a legacy in material science research, biblical studies and his family’s drive for success.

Bilello, 86, died peacefully on Aug. 19 at his home in Dexter, surrounded by loved ones. In June, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and wanted to come home into hospice.

His son said he was, “firm, reasonable and loving.”

A born-and-raised Ne