Paul David ‘Mink’ Minkoff

December 6, 1955 – April 1, 2020

Paul David “Mink” Minkoff passed away suddenly on April 1 in Bali, Indonesia, from complications of the COVID-19 virus.

Paul was born in Culver City, California, December 6, 1955, the fourth child of Nathan and Miriam Newman Minkoff. His family moved to Pacific Palisades when he was 9 months old.

He attended Marquez Elementary School, Paul Revere Junior High School, Palisades High School, Venice Adult School and Los Angeles Trade Technical College where he earned a degree in electrical construction and maintenance.

He became a journeyman electrician and belonged to IBEW Local 11. He had his bar mitzvah at JCPP, now Kehillat Israel Synagogue. During his years as an electrician he worked on many West LA buildings, including the Broad Stage Theater at Santa Monica College.

Paul was a familiar presence around downtown Pacific Palisades where he and then-partner Linda Chandler, founder of Village Florist & Greenery, lovingly maintained the fountain and landscaping in the Palisades Village Green park on Sunset Boulevard. He worked in security at the Renaissance Faire for many years, and also helped provide security for film industry sets when they were on location at beaches in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, occasionally acting as an extra doing surfing. He held a Screen Actor’s Guild card.

He lived in Santa Monica until returning to his childhood home in 1997 to care for his mother until her death in 2001 and where he continued to live until he retired in 2012.

Paul took up surfing at age 10 and it became his lifelong passion. Whenever possible he went where the surf was, including Cabo San Lucas, Rio and Bali, where he was the sole distributor of Mr. Zogs Sex Wax for surfboards in Bali. He lived his life with great gusto and made friends wherever he traveled.

He is survived by his sister, Myra (Allan) Lader of Gresham, Oregon, and Yuma, Arizona, brothers David (Annette) of Santa Cruz, California, and Jonathan of Caldwell, Idaho. The family thanks Timmy Pattinson of Santa Monica, Paul’s lifelong friend and surfing buddy, for his support and help.

Mink’s many friends in the surfing community will hold a paddle out memorial service at a future date.