Obituary of Dean Steven Travalino

Dean Steven Travalino, 71, of South Salem NY passed away on Saturday April 18th at Norwalk Hospital. 

Dean was born on May 12, 1954, in the Bronx, New York, to Theresa Patrissi Travalino and the late Dean Salvatore Travalino.  The family moved to Hartsdale, New York, when Dean was in his teens.  He was a graduate of Edgemont High School, Fordham University and Boston University School of Law.  He loved Westchester County, saying he “knew it like the back of his hand.”  When his then girlfriend, Liza, whom he met in law school, suggested they move to San Francisco where she had a great job offer, he scoffed “why would I do that?  I like it here.”  They got married instead.

On a foggy night in July 1987, Dean, already a partner in the Tarrytown law firm, Allen, Litt & Hulnick, and father of a six month old baby boy, was driving up to Vista on Route 123 moving baby furniture from Manhattan to the family's condo in Oak Ridge, rented while they searched for a home in the area.  As he crossed the line between Connecticut and New York, the yellow line on the edge of the road abruptly ended.  The State of NY had just paved the road but had not yet repainted the line.  Losing his sight line, Dean drove off the road, his Jeep Cherokee turned over and Dean became a C6-C7 quadriplegic.  Dean’s wife, Liza, mused: “If life had gone on as we expected, Dean would have been a tall thin Italian lawyer in a pin-striped suit, on the board of the local hospital and the bank (already in the works) and yes he would have made his mark.  But I have been thinking.  The accident, while indeed a tragedy, allowed the true essence of Dean, his courage and his integrity, to shine through and be seen.  He was an inspiration to us and well loved.”

Following the accident and recouperation, Dean was not able to resume the rigors of a law practice but volunteered for as many endeavors as he was able.  Over the years among other things, he served on the Lewisboro Advisory Committee for the Disabled, the town’s Cable TV Committee, and the board of the Lewisboro Baseball Association.  For 20 years he organized the car show at the Lewisboro Library Fair.  Accepting all entries and recruiting sponsors, he named it the South Salem Concours d’Elegance and envisioned it enhancing fair attendance and helping raise money.

A registered Democrat with fiscal conservative leanings, Dean was active in local politics and loved to debate issues.  For many years Dean was a fixture every Friday on the veranda of the Horse and Hound Inn where he would gather with friends, liberal and conservative, to lock horns over issues of the day. Although the views were often divergent, the discourse was civil, sometimes full of humor and always with the willingness to learn from each other.

Dean was a tireless campaigner.  Although he never held an elected office, he worked behind the scenes supporting many candidates.  Lewisboro Town Board Member Richard Sklarin said: “I had the honor and privilege to know this gentleman (in every sense of the word) for close to 25 years.  We spoke regularly about all things Lewisboro where he lived for decades in the heart of South Salem as a devoted husband, father, son, neighbor, lawyer, confidant, provider of sage advice and counsel, community leader and volunteer (in such areas as music, sports, town government, Lewisboro Library and the Wolf Center to name just a few) and, most importantly, a loyal and trusted mentor and friend to so many.”

Dean helped run a yearly series of piano concerts, the Sanctuary Series, held at the South Salem Presbyterian Church.  SSPC’s Minister of Music and co-Artistic Director of the Sanctuary Series, Mary Jane Newman, said: “When Chip Andrus and I began the Sanctuary Series nine years ago, we sat together in his study at the South Salem Church. I remember that moment clearly. I was hesitant, perhaps even a little afraid of what we were beginning. And Chip said, with a calm conviction that now feels almost prophetic, “Don’t worry. We can do it. I’ll call Dean.”  That sentence has never left me. It has lived in my mind, and more deeply, in my heart, across all these years. Because the truth is, the “we” always included Dean. It was Dean who made that “we” real. It was Dean who opened the door, who widened the horizon, who allowed us to step into something larger than ourselves and believe, truly believe, that it could be done. His was the vision. His was the energy, steady and unrelenting . He was the one who believed in people, in possibility, in the quiet, fragile dreams that others barely dared to name.”

Dean was a founding board member of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY, and remained an active member of the board 26 years later. Wolf Conservation Center President, Martha Hunt Handler, said: “Dean was a visionary and steady presence whose legal acumen, deep community knowledge, and unwavering commitment to public service laid the foundation for the conservation center's growth into the internationally respected organization it is today.” Dean served on the organization’s executive committee throughout his tenure and provided thoughtful, bold, and transformative leadership. He steered the WCC through the complexities of local zoning regulations, not only making intelligent, informed arguments but also respectfully listening to various sides of issues, while helping all parties reach a consensus. Founder of the Wolf Conservation Center, Helene Grimaud, said: "He was one of the greatest minds and bravest spirits I ever met."

Dean is survived by his wife, Liza Fraser of South Salem, son James Travalino of South Salem and New Milford, Maine, his mother Theresa Patrissi Travalino and his sister Joy Noel Travalino of Hartsdale, NY, his brother, Robert Travalino of Cleremont, FL and many cousins.

Friends may call at Clark Associates Funeral Home, 4 Woods Bridge Rd., Katonah, NY on Sunday April 26 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Mary's RC Church, 55 Valley Rd. Katonah New York on Monday April 27th at 11 AM, Interment will follow at the South Salem Cemetery. A memorial concert will be held at the South Salem Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 4 PM. The memorial concert will be livestreamed. 

Memorial contributions may be made to The Wolf Conservation Center and/or The Sanctuary Series.