Fire officials are still investigating the cause of a Feb. 21 blaze that destroyed a Coronado home and took the life of a local “legend,” retired businessman Bob Kipperman.
Fire crews answered a call for a trapped individual at 1421 6th Street at approximately 1:15 p.m., according to Coronado Fire Chief Jayson Summers.
“The first unit arrived on scene to find a two-story home fully involved in fire throughout the first floor,” Summers said. “The team made an aggressive attack on the fire while conducting a search for the occupant.”
Kipperman was located on the first floor and pronounced deceased, Summers said. He is survived by his wife, Carina, who managed to escape the flames.
No other injuries were reported.
The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes and was contained to the structure. The cause and origin remained undetermined as of Feb. 24.
Municipal records show the Kipperman residence is a designated historic home – a Spanish colonial structure built in 1930.
Kipperman ran Kippys, a local fashion store located on Orange Avenue, after buying the store from his parents in 1948. Kippys closed down in 2015, but community members raved about the store on social media in the days following Kipperman’s death, commenting on the store’s iconic belts and fashionable clothes. One post referred to the proprietor as a “true Coronado legend.”
“I think of him most days as my Kippys’ key chain is with me daily,” commented Colby Erickson Freer on the Facebook group Coronado Happenings. “Bob, a true iconic member of our community.”
Coronado resident Kelly Sarber said Kipperman gave her her first job at Kippys when she was 14. “He treated me as an adult and not a kid, and I felt so grown up … Our hearts go out to the entire Kipperman family at this tragedy,” she commented on Facebook.
Funeral or memorial arrangements are pending.
The Coronado News invites community members to submit personal experiences and stories of Kipperman to newsroom@thecoronadonews.com.
