William Biase, 61
William Biase of Montauk died on Feb. 14 at Flower Hospital in Dothan, Ala., where he had been living since 2011. The cause was complications of diabetes. He was 61.
Mr. Biase joined the Marine Corps after high school and, among other places, he served at the 29 Palms Base at the air ground combat center in the high desert of California. He did tank and mobile vehicle research and computer work there, and after his service ended worked for 12 more years for the civilian manufacturer of the equipment at 29 Palms.
He was born at Southampton Hospital on July 2, 1957, to Edna Sorensen and William Biase of Montauk, who died before him. He graduated from the Montauk School and East Hampton High School, where, his family said, he developed a love of music and played in the school band.
Mr. Biase, called Bill by his friends, was married and divorced twice; he did not have children. He returned in 2006 to Montauk after having to retire early because of illness, and left in 2011 for Dothan. He remained active in veterans organizations and was a member of Sons of the American Revolution and the Marine Corps League.
According to his friend Jackie Howell of Enterprise, Ala., he also enjoyed gardening, traveling, history, cooking, and his two dogs. “Bill liked to tell stories about growing up in Montauk, and also about all the places he lived and traveled in, in the Marines,” she said. “He also liked to help people, especially at Christmas, when he would donate to Toys for Tots.”
His mother, Edna Biase, who worked for a time at The Star, was a longtime and active member of the Montauk Community Church, where she was renowned for baking her lemon meringue pies, which Mr. Biase and his sisters loved to eat.
His two sisters, Christine Biase of New York City and Carol Nye of Montauk, died before him. A brother-in-law in Montauk and a niece in East Hampton survive.
There will be a funeral at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at Sunset Memorial Park Funeral Home in Dothan, followed by burial at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Fort Mitchell, Ala.
Memorial donations have been suggested to the Montauk Community Church, P.O. Box 697, Montauk 11954.