Naftaly “Tuli” Glasman, 88, passed away peacefully on Sept. 6, 2026, in his home in Santa Barbara. Tuli Glasman was born on Feb. 13, 1938. His birthplace was Haifa in what would soon become the state of Israel.

He was always a great student and a talented athlete. He also played the violin in the Haifa youth orchestra.

Tuli was one of the youngest officers in the Israeli Defense Forces, and he saw action in the Sinai Campaign of 1956, where he was slightly wounded.

In 1958, he left Israel to study at an American university, which was a traumatic separation from his dear brother Gadi. Four years later, he successfully graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

After receiving his degree, Tuli began graduate studies at UC Berkeley, where he met his beloved wife Lynn. In November of 1963, they entered a marriage that would last more than 62 years.

From 1964 to 1965, they lived in Jerusalem, Israel, where Tuli worked for the Ministry of Education. Their eldest son, Ilan, was born there in 1965.

The three of them then returned to UC Berkeley, where Tuli received his Ph.D in school administration in 1968.

That same year, the family moved down the coast to Santa Barbara, where Tuli began his long career as a professor of school administration at UCSB. His proudest accomplishment was chairing 72 doctoral dissertation committees.

He also published more than 100 pieces and served as the editor of the Review of Educational Research. In 1980, he also became dean of the Graduate School of Education at UCSB for more than seven years.

Meanwhile, the Glasman family expanded with the birth of their son Oren in 1971 and daughter Mia in 1980.

After 44 years of teaching, Tuli retired and spent time doing volunteer work. During those post-retirement years, he was blessed to spend time with his six grandchildren (Ethan Joel, Josh, Rina, Patrick, and Talia).

Throughout his life, Tuli cared deeply for his birthplace, the state of Israel, his adopted country, the United States, and his beloved Family.

The family wishes to thank Juan Martines, Elena Cervantes, and Visiting Nurses Association of Santa Barbara for the wonderful care they gave Tuli over the course of his final illness.

May his memory be a blessing.