Dean Joseph DePhillipo

Dean Joseph DePhillipo, age 66, passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 14th, 2025.

Born on June 24th 1959 to adoptive parents Frank and Mae DePhillipo, Dean grew up with a love for photography that would stay with him his entire life. As a young man, his spirit of adventure and love for the ocean drew him to enlist in the Coast Guard, where he served as a rescue diver for four years. After his service he returned to photography, graduating from Brooks Institute in 1989. His early career had him capturing images of both land and sea in over 50 countries, working with notable figures such as Jean Michel Cousteau. Dean’s still images have appeared in publications produced by The Cousteau Society, The Smithsonian, Cunard, NOAA, National Marine Sanctuary Program, and more. Later in life he turned to teaching his trade, working first at Brooks Institute and later at Mount Saint Mary’s University and Santa Barbara High School’s MAD Academy. Colleagues remember him as a gifted teacher, noting that he could both make young people into better photographers and photographers into better educators.

Dean is survived by his daughter Isabella, as well as many close friends. Pictures of Dean and stories about him can be uploaded to his memorial website: forevermissed.com/dean. A celebration of life will be held on January 3rd, 2026 at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.