Burt Sperber, founder of ValleyCrest Landscape Companies and a Malibu resident, died Fri., Sept. 30 of complications from surgery. He was 82.
Sperber was born on May 14, 1929 in Los Angeles. Since his father owned a retail nursery, he became active in the industry at a young age. As an active member of the Future Famers of America at North Hollywood High School, Sperber worked at the MG Nursery in North Hollywood and a Sears, Roebuck and Co. nursery in Los Angeles as a teenager. When MG Nursery owner Mossimo Giannulli died in 1949, Sperber purchased the company and founded ValleyCrest Landscaping at 19 years old.
Today, ValleyCrest has more than 9,000 employees at more than 150 locations across the country. The company has landscaped hundreds of projects including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Getty Center, Boston’s Central Artery (the “Big Dig”), the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., AT&T Park in San Francisco, Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas and numerous Las Vegas hotels. ValleyCrest earned a spot on Forbes magazine’s 2008 list of America’s 500 Largest Private Companies.
“The unexpected passing of my dad came as a complete shock to me, the family and everyone who knew him,” Sperber’s son Richard A. Sperber said in a statement. “I had the great privilege of working with him side by side every day and saw how he loved nurturing people. Nothing made him happier than watching everyone at ValleyCrest grow and seeing people do great things both inside and outside the company. He always encouraged us to do the right thing and was an amazing family man. I’m taking on the personal responsibility to carry on his legacy and values he instilled in me as I lead the company forward.”
Richard, co-owner of the Malibu Lumber Yard mall, joined his father as co-CEO of ValleyCrest in 2008. He previously served as president and COO of the company beginning in 2001, and worked as president of the company’s development division before that.
In addition to his career in landscaping, Burt Sperber was also a talented and accomplished magician. He was inducted into the prestigious Inner Magic Circle of England, the highest degree a magician can earn, and a rank rarely achieved by Americans. Additionally, he was named Magician of the Year in 2011. His passion led him to writing and collected magic books. He had one of the largest collections in the country, including rare books dating back as far as the sixteenth century.
Sperber, along with Lady Bird Johnson, was also active in efforts to build and support the Jewish community in the Los Angeles area. He helped build Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge, where he is a lifetime member. Sperber played a significant role in the building of the University of Judaism, now the American Jewish University in Los Angeles.
Additionally, Sperber was a decorated Army veteran who served as a Master Sergeant in the Korean War.
Sperber met his wife Charlene at 16 years old and the pair married in 1949. Throughout their 62-year partnership, they complimented each other in their collaborations building a company and family.
“An iconic figure in the landscape industry and respected business and community leader in Los Angeles for decades, he was counted on by titans in business and real estate to bring their projects to life through landscapes,” a statement from ValleyCrest stated. “Ultimately, he was revered for having created a world-class organization but preferred more simple recognition for his horticultural expertise as the ‘head gardener,’ and a devout family man.”
Sperber is survived by his wife, Charlene, their children Ellice Sperber, Michelle Sperber and Richard A Sperber, his sister Deanna Colton and his seven grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his daughter Wendie Jo Sperber and his brother Stuart J. Sperber.
A memorial service will take place Oct. 5 at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary in Burbank, followed by a reception at ValleyCrest’s corporate headquarters in Calabasas.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to weSpark Cancer Support Center, 13520 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423 or at www.wespark.org.