The City of Malibu is planning a civic memorial gathering in his honor to take place later this month.
Activist and former Malibu Planning Commissioner Edward Herbert Lipnick died Dec. 6 at his Malibu home after a long battle with cancer. His wife, Diana, was by his side.
A 40-year Malibu resident, Lipnick was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 11, 1939. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science, where he was an active member of Alpha Epsilon Pi. After graduation, Lipnick pursued photojournalism and then computer programming with SDC.
He went on to become a systems analyst for the RAND Corporation, a Santa Monica think tank. He also worked as a research associate for the University of Southern California Medical School, where he was involved in computer technology research in the fields of medicine and government policy. In his free time, he was a screenwriter and an accomplished pilot.
Lipnick strongly believed in giving back to the community. He was a longtime member of the Malibu Planning Commission and a dedicated public servant.
“You were the core and heart of the commission,” Mayor Jeff Jennings said at a joint Planning Commission and City Council meeting in October, where city leaders honored Lipnick, who was retiring from the commission for health reasons.
Planning Commission Chair Richard Carrigan added, “One of the things that shows how fine a gentleman Lipnick is, is how he cares about Malibu. He was always fair and balanced and he was a pleasure to work with.”
Lipnick responded, “I enjoyed it very much and learned a lot about myself through the job, especially being chairman for a year…”
Lipnick also chaired and served on a number of committees and task forces for the City of Malibu. Always politically active, he worked diligently to support local progressive candidates. In addition to his public work, Lipnick was a generous philanthropist for local community organizations, women’s health initiatives, cancer research and public education. Lipnick also flew urgent missions for Angel Flight, transporting patients and their families in need of emergency health services.
A hiking enthusiast, he enjoyed the outdoors, trekking in the Himalayas in Nepal and traveling extensively in California and around the world.
Lipnick was a dedicated father and husband, married for 20 years to Reina, who died in 1990. His wife Diana, whom he married in 1996, and his three children, Cristian, Amanda and Tara, survive him.
The City of Malibu is planning a civic memorial gathering to honor Lipnick later this month.
In lieu of flowers, please send a memorial contribution in Edward Lipnick’s honor to the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, P.O. Box 2273, Malibu 90265.