Clinton lawyer dies in car crash
Longtime Clinton lawyer and former Rocky Top City Judge Sal Varsalona addresses the Rocky Top City Council during its meeting on Dec. 22, 2023. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
The accident was posted on Facebook by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office at 6:51 p.m., as a “Road Closure” notice, saying: “Brushy Valley Road at Mountain View Road and Pumpkin Hollow Road will be closed for an extended period of time while the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office assist[s] the Tennessee Highway Patrol [in investigating] a traffic accident with injuries.”
Varsalona, who lived with his mother on Hickory Valley Road across from Fairview Elementary School, was a lifelong resident of the area who attended Norris High School.
He was a partner in the law firm of Burrell & Varsalona on South Charles G. Seivers Boulevard, with a satellite office on West Central Avenue in LaFollette.
A post appearing Monday on the law firm’s Facebook page stated:
“It is with debilitating sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sal.
“Sal was a mountain of a man with a heart of pure gold.
“Services will be announced later in the week. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time, and we remain dedicated to our clients.”
He was a 1993 graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law.
Besides operating his law practice, Varsalona was the longtime counsel for the Anderson County Schools, and served more than nine years as municipal judge in Rocky Top, from 2014 until December 2023.
Circuit Court Clerk Rex Lynch said he got a message about the fatal accident “between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday.”
“There are very few people in our court system who didn’t know Sal,” Lynch said Monday. “He was always courteous and professional to our court staff, and he treated his clients well. He’s truly going to be missed around the courthouse. It seemed like he knew everybody.”
Besides knowing him through the courts and as the Rocky Top city judge, General Sessions Court Deputy Clerk Denise Casteel – a former Rocky Top councilwoman – said Varsalona was also a longtime family friend.
“I called him Uncle Sal,” Casteel said Monday. “He knew my aunt and uncle very well. This is terrible news.
“He was always very nice and professional,” she said. “He bent over backwards to help his clients.”
“I always appreciated his service to the city, and he worked well with our law-enforcement officers,” said Michael Foster, who was Rocky Top’s city manager during most of Varsalona’s tenure as city judge. “I really hate this. He was also very active in Main Street Baptist Church in Rocky Top.”
According to his brief biography on the law firm’s website:
“Sal Varsalona was born and raised in East Tennessee. He attended Norris High School and continued his academic career at the University of Tennessee, graduating with a degree in Political Science and Psychology.
“After graduating from UT, Sal continued onto law school, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1993,” it said.
“After finally finishing his studies, Sal wanted to travel to one of the poorest countries in the world. When an opportunity arose to spend some time with Christian missionaries in Bangladesh, he jumped at the chance.
“Sal was able to spend a few months in Bangladesh and surrounding countries,” the website noted “It was definitely an eye-opening experience that made Sal appreciate more than ever the opportunities he’s had.”
The website also noted that Varsalona’s areas of practice included “family law, DUI/DWI law, medical malpractice, criminal law, family law, divorce, juvenile law, child custody, adoption, personal injury, probate administration, estate planning, Social Security disability, worker’s compensation, general civil litigation, business law, contracts, real estate deeds, and bankruptcy.”
He was on the board of directors of the Legal Aid Society of Tennessee, and a volunteer for Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the website said.
He was also a member of the Anderson County Bar Association.
