Malibu resident Burton Sperber, who died Sept. 30 at the age of 82, was a man with a green thumb and a magic touch. He beautified spaces around the world but also left a major mark on Malibu.
With love and dedication, the longtime resident perked up the median on Pacific Coast Highway, added coral trees near the Malibu Colony Shopping Plaza and helped the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue become the beloved gathering spot that it is today.
Sperber was the founder and chairman of the board of the Calabasas-based ValleyCrest Landscaping Companies. The corporation spearheaded iconic projects such as the gardens at the Getty Center as well as the rooftop community garden at Walt Disney Concert Hall, but he never left the sprucing up of his own neighborhood overlooked.
Sperber played an instrumental role in the MalibuGreenMachine, a median beautification program near Cross Creek Road.
“He was absolutely the guiding light to the project,” Shelby Basso, GreenMachine treasurer, said. “He had the history and experience to navigate through all the bureaucracies and agencies involved. Without him, it never would have happened.”
But Sperber took on more than just the GreenMachine plan.
“While the engineering and design were being finalized, and we waited for our permits for the median project on PCH, Burt pitched in the resources of ValleyCrest to help us on other projects,” said Jo Giese, founder of the GreenMachine who worked with Sperber and was instrumental in the beatification programs. “Burt provided the earth moving equipment, plant material and experienced crew to assist our planting a garden at the weedy area next to the “Welcome to Malibu 27 Miles of Scenic Beauty,” sign just north of Trancas.”
Sperber was also actively involved in the community in many other ways, especially with the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue.
“He was not only generous in terms of donating, he was responsible for landscaping the temple and he was always there whenever we needed anything,” recalled friend and The Malibu Times Publisher Karen York.
Sperber at ValleyCrest Landscape Companies, one of the world’s largest, was described as a “humble man;” he could be in a room full of CEOs and just call himself the “head gardener.”
What started out as a small nursery with a handful of employees blossomed into a thriving business with 150 locations around the world, 9,000 employees and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
He also developed a close relationship with former Los Angeles Parks Commissioner Steve Soboroff who worked with Sperber on more than a dozen projects, including the median on Pacific Coast Highway and a soccer field at Exposition Park.
Sperber knew how to work with agencies like Caltrans, and Soboroff said because of his dedication and know-how he “made those projects happen.”
Outside the office or garden, Sperber was fascinated by magic and was a respected magician. But his real magic was the legacy he left in Malibu and around the world.
“He was very generous with his spirit,” Basso said. “He really cared about the community. We are very grateful for his support and friendship.”