Bianca Chien Brindley, daughter of Thomas and Monica Brindley of Huntsville, died suddenly on December 22, 2023.
She was the beloved mother of two sons, Christopher Best and Arthur Best, and the primary caretaker for her mother, Monica.
Bianca was valedictorian of her Huntsville High School class of 1986, played clarinet with the band, and was active in many school clubs. She received a scholarship from Rhodes College, which she attended for one year before transferring to Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she graduated with the Class of 1990, with a double major in physics and philosophy. At Wellesley Bianca felt truly at home, establishing lasting
friendships built on respect and trust with other talented women. From that time on she saw herself as a feminist and always supported political policies that aimed to empower women and raise them up.
After her college graduation, Bianca completed a one-year masters in public health, worked on prerequisites for medical school, and then began studying medicine at the University of Alabama (Birmingham) in her mid- twenties. It was then, in her very first semester as a medical student, that she had a serious and extended encounter with mental illness, ultimately forcing her to drop out of medical school. In time, Bianca was able to piece her life back together, completing a BA in computer science at UAH, working, and marrying and having two kids. Unfortunately, in 2010, her mental illness intervened in her life again – this time in the form of postpartum psychosis. After a difficult decade, Bianca was able to overcome the disruption, reconnecting with friends and enjoying some time with her two sons. After the death of her father in 2018, Bianca served as the sole caregiver to her mom, who has been suffering from increasingly severe dementia.
Bianca was a loving, intelligent, amiable, wonderfully quirky, funny, and determined soul with a giant heart. She was non-judgmental and made friends from all walks of life – friends whom she generously gave her time and support. In addition to an interest in feminism, which she picked up from her years at Wellesley, she supported measures to protect the environment, and she advocated for those with mental illnesses.
Bianca was close to her Mom and Dad, who she believed had always stood by her during her struggles with mental illness. She was also a loving mom to Kit and Arthur, caring sister to Becky and Erica, fun-loving aunt to her nieces, and a thoughtful friend to many. Survivors include her mother, Monica Chien Brindley; her two younger sisters, Becky Brindley Thuma and Erica Fox Brindley, and her two sons, Christopher Best and Arthur Best. She will be sorely missed.
A Receiving of Friends will be held on Friday, January 5, from 3:00-4:00PM, with a memorial service immediately following at Berryhill Funeral Home.
Berryhill Funeral Home assisted the family.
