Michael "Mel" C. Lippert, 70, beloved brother, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully in his home in Honolulu surrounded by everything that brought him joy: his cat Stormy (named after Stormy Daniels), women doting on him, a pack of cigarettes, an almost empty bottle of Jack Daniels, a cup of coffee, a can of beer (his sinewy physique was the result of a candy and liquid diet), and a gorgeous view of downtown Honolulu, his adopted home.Michael was born on January 4, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, and was the son of John "Jack" Christman Lippert and Mildred "Millie" Grace Carlson. From an early age, he became known for his irreverent and wry sense of humor, oftentimes at the expense of his highly tolerant siblings. If you sat next to him at the dinner table, you might find that your food was given to the dog while his food ended up in your milk glass. Despite his pranks, he developed an unbreakable bond with his brothers and sister and talked to them daily covering his favorite topics of sports, politics, women and his cat.
He was a life-long flirt, and staying true to form, decided to attend law school to impress a girl he was dating at the time. After getting his Juris Doctor degree, he moved to Hawaii with hopes of becoming the legal version of Magnum, P.I. complete with a large collection of Hawaiian shirts and a vintage 1977 pale yellow Porsche. Michael was admitted to the bar in 1982 and started his career as a public defender before moving into private practice. He continued to serve his clients into his final days.
Michael was a gifted athlete and played baseball during his youth before moving onto surfing, golf and fly fishing. He took an annual camping trip to Montana with his brothers, close friends and nephews to fly fish. These trips became notorious and part of family lore for his annual "burning of the underwear party," which marked the last night of their stay and apparently his steely determination to not change them for the duration of his trip.
He was generous, especially if you were female, and would give you his last dollar if asked. He also loved traveling, was a gifted storyteller who mixed fact with fiction, and could make friends with just about anyone.
Michael will be lovingly remembered by his siblings, sister Margaret "Meg" Davis, brother Steve Lippert (Cindy), sister Susan Porteus (Patrick) and Chris Lippert (Francine); his niece Karissa Reardon (Mike), nephew Jason Lippert (Christina), niece Shauna Porteus (Maria), nephew Kyle Lippert (Maria), niece Rachel Lippert and niece Briana Lippert; and all the people he met throughout the years.
Arrangements Provided By: Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary LL
