Franco Denaro

Franco Stephen Denaro, a chef, caterer, and food stylist who lived on Joshua Edwards Court in East Hampton, died on May 28 at Southampton Hospital. Mr. Denaro, who was 61, had a heart attack at the Ross School, where he worked as a chef.

He was a talented gardener and fisherman, said his son, Stephen Denaro of East Hampton. “He was a good guy, an honorable guy,” he said.

Franco Denaro was born on Sept. 3, 1952, in Flushing, Queens, to Natale Denaro and the former Susan Vitale, both of whom died before him. He grew up in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens and graduated from high school in that borough.

He did not attend college, his son said, instead becoming a protégé of chefs in New York City. He moved to the South Fork in his 20s, his son said, and the list of restaurants and catering companies he worked for is “a half-mile long.”

Mr. Denaro married the former Angela Gardella on Oct. 19, 1991. She died in 2002.

Along with his son, a daughter, Francesca Denaro of East Hampton, survives him. A sister, Susan Meyer of Fishkill, N.Y., also survives, as do several nieces and nephews.

The Ross School held a gathering in memory of Mr. Denaro, who was cremated, on May 29. A service was held on May 30 at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton, and the next day a funeral Mass was offered at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where he was a member.

The family has suggested memorial donations to organizations that help children.