Naftali Dean immigrated to Israel from Romania in 1934. During the 1948 War of Independance, he was a local commander in the Haganah.
He became head of the Tel Mond local council. he received an award from the President of Israel for his work in immigrant absorption.
A chance meeting with his niece, Shlomit Ziv, led to their cruel deaths, the result of a Palestinian bomb.
Naftali is survived by 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.