William G. Drenttel ’76

After a year-and-a-half-long struggle with brain cancer, William Drenttel died Dec. 21, 2013, in Connecticut.

A visionary in the field of graphic design, Bill was co-founder of the online design blog Design Observer, as well as co-founder of the design studio Winterhouse.

Bill came to Princeton from Tustin High School in California, where he starred on the debate team. Bill devised his own academic program, graduating in 1977 with an independent concentration in European cultural studies. Bill reported for The Daily Princetonian, managed the Student Bartending Agency, and joined Ivy Club.

After graduation, Bill joined Compton Advertising, where he managed more than 20 Procter & Gamble brands. He left as senior vice president in 1985 to start the design company Drenttel Doyle Partners.

In the 1990s, Bill met and married Jessica Helfand, and they operated Winterhouse in Connecticut while raising their two children. In 2003, they co-founded the Design Observer. A voracious reader, Bill also was a passionate book collector and publisher. Further information about Bill is on his Wikipedia page.

The class sends condolences to Jessica; son Malcolm; daughter Fiona; and brother Bradley.