Martin B. Travis Jr., professor of political science and International Law at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, former mayor of Laurel Hollow, and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, died April 26, 2006 at his home in Laurel Hollow, at the age of 88. The cause of death was metastasis laryngeal cancer.

During the years from 1965 to 1995 Professor Travis was very active in Laurel Hollow, having served on the Cold Spring Harbor School District School Board as president and vice president, trustee and police commissioner for the Village of Laurel Hollow and then Mayor from 1985 - 1995.

In his early career he taught political science and international relations at Duke, Syracuse, and then as an associate professor of political science at Stanford University specializing in Latin American Affairs. He took one year off from Stanford to teach at Columbia University as a visiting professor in the School of International Affairs.

In the summers of 1959 and 1962 he was visiting professor at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico in conjunction with Stanford University.

Dr. Travis came to New York in 1961 as chairman to form the Political Science Department at this young four-year-old college located in Oyster Bay. The following year the school moved to its current location in Stony Brook and is now SUNY-Stony Brook. During the course of his 27-year tenure there, ten were as chairman. He helped establish the Institute of American Studies, which ran from 1965-1993, a program originally endowed by William Robertson Coe, with classes conducted at Planting Fields Arboretum. Additionally, he was the representative of SUNY in France from 1966-1977 and the coordinator for its program at the American University of Beirut from 1972-1973.

In 2000, Professor Travis was presented with the Hugh Cleland Memorial Outstanding Professor Award by Robert McGrath, Provost of SUNY Stony Brook. The tribute: "He nurtured a generation of future law school graduates and lawyers specializing in international law."

In 1992 at his 50th wedding anniversary Martin's wife Olivia Taylor Travis and his former student, James Weller, presented him with a proclamation that celebrated his years of teaching at Stony Brook and established the Dr. Martin B. Travis Endowed Scholarship Award in Political Science to benefit a graduating senior of Political Science who plans on attending law school. Fifteen students have enjoyed the award since 1995 with attendance at Yale, Columbia, NYU and other universities. The award is currently overseen by Dr. Albert Cover.

Among his publications, he was a co-editor and contributor with Philip W. Buck to Control of Foreign Relations in Modern Nations (1957). He was on the Board of Editors of Western Political Quarterly from 1956-1958, the Advanced Board for the Almanac of Current World Leaders in1957, and he was an editorial critic for book publishers. He published in association with E. E. Robinson Powers of the President in Foreign Affairs. (1966).

Martin Bice Travis was born in Iron Mountain MI, the son of the Superintendent of Schools, for whom he was named, and Helen Carrett, a teacher of chemistry and suffragette. He graduated from Amherst College in 1939, spending his junior year at Heidelberg University (Germany) in 1937 where he met Olivia Taylor who would be his wife five years later.

Dr. Travis received his B.A. from Amherst College; an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts; and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1948 where he studied under Professor Quincy Wright. He was a First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Intelligence, discharged in 1953.

Education was the first passion, but gardening and farming at his home, The Homestead, was his second. Throughout his lifetime friends and colleagues were the beneficiaries of great loads of tomatoes, dozens of fresh eggs, and jars of honey not to mention many parties hosted by Martin and Olivia. In retirement, his passion only grew as he continued to hand mow the four-acre estate and expand the garden of his 1810's Homestead, originally owned by Major Walter Jones, a descendant of the original land grant family.

Dr. Travis is survived by his sister, Marta Betsy Hornidge and her husband Richard, of Andover, MA; Martin's two daughters, Elizabeth Mugharbil and her husband Usama of Beirut, Lebanon and Helen Willard Travis of Woodside, Queens; two grandchildren, Raghda Al Zein and her husband Ahmad and Martin Mugharbil and his wife Celia Faiad of Beirut, Lebanon and two great-grandchildren, Leila Al Zein and Yasmine Olivia Al Zein of Beirut, Lebanon. His wife of 63 years, Olivia Brewster Taylor Travis passed away on Dec. 27.

Arrangements were made by the A. L. Jacobsen Funeral Home, Huntington. A memorial service will be held at Old First Presbyterian Church, 125 Main St., Huntington on May 27 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the Dr. Martin B. Travis Endowed Scholarship Award in Political Science, Department of Political Science, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4392.

Sarah Principe, 92, of Oyster Bay, died on May 5, 2006. Wife of the late Richard. Mother of Dominic R. (Rosemarie), Phyllis Brown (James). Nanny of Jimmy Brown (Gerri), Ebbie Meccariello (George), Linda Herman (Richard), Richard Principe (Cristina) and Michael Principe (Jennifer). Great-grandmother of 10. Sister of Mary Campisi (Al) and Fanny Cotroneo (Carmen). Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Arrangements were made by the Oyster Bay Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Dominic's RC Chapel. Interment Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Church, Laurel Hollow. Rose R. Ruhoy, 89, of Bayville, died on May 11, 2006. Wife of the late Edward. Mother of Dolores Lippe of Bayville and Carol Shields of Mesa, AZ. Grandmother of Dennis and Christopher Lippe. Sister of Frank, Steve, Isadore and the late Felix and Helen. Arrangements were made by the Oyster Bay Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Gertrude RC Church. Interment Calverton National Cemetery. Donations in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 6000 Jericho Tpke., Suite 200W Syosset, N 11791.