Kim Tipper, a lifelong resident of Malibu, passed away on Oct. 17, 2020, at the age of 82. Kim’s family, Roy and Mary Yturria, moved to Malibu in 1949 on old Malibu Road in central Malibu and later on Bush Drive in Zuma Canyon. He graduated in 1950 from Webster Elementary School, then from Lincoln Junior High and Santa Monica High School in 1957. He joined the Navy, where he was a Sea Bee. He returned to Malibu and started his own company, Tipper Tractor Grading and Maintenance Co., where he cared for many Malibu properties.
Malibu was always his playground, where he loved horseback riding, fishing and body surfing (he was known as the reef Buddha at Little Dume). Kim enjoyed socializing with a group of old timers at the Dume Room and Lilly’s Café. He knew the history of growing up in the Malibu. His character and way of life evolved in Malibu.
“Kim was a guy that danced to his own tune,” his friend of more than 70 years, Pete Haynes, wrote. “He was most happy when he was working on his tractor, clearing somebody’s field or just digging up some dirt with his backhoe.
“As you might guess, he and I would get after each other on occasion; however, when it was all said and done, we stayed good friends for all of those years,” Haynes wrote.
“He and his knowledge of Malibu will be missed,” another friend, James McHenry, wrote.