Obituary
Oscar Edward Lippe 63, or Chef Lippe, as he was more often called, of Vero Beach, Florida, died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, July 29, 2023, following a lengthy battle to recover from the debilitating effects of a stroke and complications of diabetes.
Oscar was born on June 8, 1960, in La Paz, Bolivia and came to the United States in 1972 to join his parents, Norma and Stuart Lippe, who were in the diplomatic service and had returned earlier. He became a U.S. citizen in 1974 and attended Alice Deal Middle School in Washington D.C. During 1974-1977, he lived in Uruguay and then Honduras for 1978. Oscar was a student at the Uruguay American School and then graduated from the American School of Honduras. With the family’s transfer to Porto Alegre, Brazil, he studied at the Pontificia Universidade Catolica (PUC). He described it once as “...Uruguay’s beautiful beaches, Honduras’ lush green and Porto Alegre’s hills...”
In all three countries, he made friends that remained close his entire life, as he did throughout his extensive travels and work which took him to many different countries, cultures and livelihoods. With fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese, he had also learned some Italian, some French, and some Japanese, all of which took him closer to becoming a man of never quenched broad enthusiasms, curiosity for knowledge and wide interest in the world.
At the PUC and at Montgomery County Junior College near Washington D.C. he studied Mass Communications and Fine Arts. Of the prizes and awards he later received, Oscar was most proud of his first, a first prize for a photograph at the “11th Young Artists Exhibition” sponsored by the city of Porto Alegre in July 1982. He then had additional and larger presentations of his photographic work.
With this beginning, Oscar worked in the record industry in the mid-80's shooting clips for MTV. Then, with CNN, he filmed events including the Iran/Contra hearings and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Joining a Korean TV crew as a cameraman he covered many stories in Washington D.C and around the country.
Turning his photographic skills to the fashion industry he “shot” magazine covers and model portfolios at Paris, Milan, and New York shows, as well as others. Oscar then entered the model management industry eventually working as the International Director of a major Tokyo agency continuing his travels
In 2000, seeking another horizon, he again went to Brazil, rented a beach shack to recharge and then returned to what was probably his most consistent and long-term interest, the food industry and the preparation of good food. He was a restauranteur, chef, oyster farmer, and artisan baker, and was the local representative of Slow Food, which promotes local food and traditional cooking, founded in Italy but now a worldwide movement. Oscar owned and managed the Cantina Italiana, a small cafe in Florianopolis, Brazil, and then transferred it to a larger restaurant. Wherever he was, he wrote articles for local newspapers and magazines on the origin of foods. Many of these articles have appeared on his Facebook blog “The Well-Seasoned Traveller.”
Leaving this behind, in 2007 Oscar came back to the United States to try other fields. With his wife, Lorraine (Rain), the couple worked in various areas, including selling imported orchids, specialty coffee and cheeses. Moving to Florida, they lived in Melbourne, Stuart, and Delray Beach, before settling in Vero Beach. Oscar and Rain developed a devoted following for their cheeses at Farmers’ Markets, as well as expanding into the direct catering of “paella and tapas.” They were exploring with several local partners a new venture of small group travel to Spain to visit cultural and culinary sites.
Oscar is survived by his wife, daughter Nicole and grandson Tyler of Brighton, England and his parents. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Humane Society of Vero Beach. Anyone wishing to send the family a message or share a story are asked to visit his memorial page at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.