William Q. DeNatale, a fashion designer and artist, died on July 28 at his home near Cedar Point in East Hampton. He was 79 and had not been ill, his family said.
Mr. DeNatale, known to family and friends as Bill, "was part of an age of explosive creativity, which found expression in his paintings, collages, photographs, and his designs for women's fashions," which were shown in Paris and Milan and featured in Women's Wear Daily and Vogue, according to his brother, John DeNatale, who lives in Brooklyn.
Born in New York City on March 19, 1941, to William DeNatale, a jeweler, and the former Marie Vitolo, Mr. DeNatale grew up in Yonkers and attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He worked as a fashion designer from 1968 to 1976 and lived in Greenwich Village and on the Upper East Side.
In the late 1960s, he met Ronald Heller, a fashion designer who worked for the same clothing manufacturer. Partners for 51 years, they traveled often to Paris and London for fashion shows and bought a second home in East Hampton in 1981. They were married at City Hall in New York in 2012 and moved to East Hampton full time in 2013. Mr. Heller died in 2017.
"Bill loved his home on North Pass Road and had many art exhibitions around the Hamptons over the years," said his brother. "He painted many beautiful landscapes at Sammy's Beach." Travel, entertaining, animals, art, and theater were lifelong interests.
In addition to his brother, a sister, Marie DeNatale of Manhattan, survives. "Bill was beloved for his humor, laughter, and great storytelling," said his brother. "He will be deeply missed."
