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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

A Businessman and a Volunteer

Business owner and community volunteer Philip “Flip” Smith died June 23 following a short illness. He was 61. For more than two decades Smith served on various boards of many organizations throughout the San Fernando Valley. Long-time friend Lennie Ciufo called Smith “Mr. Community Services” of the Valley. “We were good friends,” said Ciufo, who was a racquetball partner with Smith. “A lot of people could say that about him.” Smith was diagnosed about four weeks ago with liver cancer. He was hospitalized June 22 with internal bleeding and died the next afternoon. “It was stunning how quickly it happened,” Ciufo said. Smith was long-time owner of Flip’s Tire Center and Flip’s Performance Concepts on Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys. In the early 1990’s, Smith took the lead to band together business owners along Sepulveda to rid the area of gangs, prostitutes and graffiti. He was awarded the Fernando Award in 1996. The boulevard business watch program coordinated through what was then called the Mid-Valley Chamber of Commerce was Smith’s “baby,” said chamber director Nancy Hoffman Vanyek. “When he started that (then) Mayor (Richard) Riordan said it was a role model for the city of LA,” Vanyek said. “It was the first of its kind.” Smith twice served as chairman of the Mid-Valley Chamber, now known as the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce. He also participated in organizations such as the Mid Valley Community Police Council and the Community Police Advisory Board, Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, Rotary Club of Van Nuys, the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Committee, and the board of directors of the Northridge Hospital Medical Center. ~ Mark Madler

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