Robert R. Smith 1945-2026

By Malibu Times · Thu Jun 25 2026

Robert Ralph Smith, known as “Bob,” was born Feb. 1, 1945, in San Diego, CA, to Dean and Vera Smith. He passed away on May 25, 2026, at 81 years old in Los Angeles, CA. Bob will be deeply missed and is survived by his life partner Linda, sisters Rosalie and Laurie, five nieces and nephews and several great-nieces and nephews.

Bob resided in Malibu from 1963 until he died. He was a true Old Malibu local.

Bob was especially close to his Dad and Gramma. He learned many life lessons from these two. One of Bob’s mentors was his childhood dentist, who encouraged him to become a dentist.

Bob’s career was extraordinary. He designed the “Flipper,” which was an essential part of most child actors’ acting. He travelled set to set working on mouths for various movie shoots. His talent was unmatched. And so was his kindness and gentle spirit with the children in his practice. 

A church service will be held at Our Lady of Malibu Church at 1:00 PM on July 7, 2026. Our Lady of Malibu, 3625 Winter Canyon Rd. Malibu, CA 90265.