Lido Isle icon passes away

Lolita Harper

If you ever stepped onto the float behind the Newport Harbor Nautical

Museum to watch the Lynx come in, you knew him. If you have ever

walked along the sidewalks of Lido Isle, you were familiar with him.

If you ever went to a big gala affair on Lido Isle, you owe him one.

Derek Niblo may not have been a household name, but his various

community accomplishments will continue after his death. Niblo died

Sunday after a 10-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 71.

Niblo gave 41 years of service to his community, serving on the

Lido Isle Architectural Committee and as a commodore for the Lido

Isle Yacht Club, volunteering his superior craftsmanship to build

sets for elaborate parties, and working on the board of directors for

the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

“He gave a lot of his time and never stopped for 41 years,”

longtime friend Carter Ford said. “Until as recently as two days

before he passed away, he wanted to meet on current projects.”

For years, the leadership at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum

wanted to build a float -- more commonly but technically incorrectly

referred to as a dock -- behind the floating museum, Ford said.

Because of issues with permits, planning and designing, the elaborate

project was put on the back burner -- until Niblo got ahold of it.

Niblo’s relentless drive made the float a reality and provided the

public waterfront access to the nautical museum. The series of ramps

and gangways from the museum door that extend into the water are

there in large part because of Niblo.

“There is a movement afoot to put a plaque on there, maybe call it

Derek’s Dock or something, but I don’t know if that will happen,”

Ford said.

Ford paid tribute to Niblo for nearly a half an hour, speaking 150

words per minute, and still could not share all of Niblo’s

accomplishments.

“I have two dozen accomplishments of his here and pages and pages

of notes,” said Ford, who is scheduled to speak at Niblo’s service

today.

The essence of the man was his genuine interest in other people

and how much he cared about them, Ford said.

Niblo was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Princeton

University. He served as a lieutenant in the Navy in the Far East. He

graduated from Harvard Business School and came back to Southern

California where he started his business as a general contractor and

real estate agent, his family said.

Although he has since moved to Lido Isle, Niblo stayed active in

the Rotary Club in Fullerton, proving his loyalty and devotion to

friendship, they said.

He offered his knowledge of building and architecture to his

neighbors and helped establish rules that retained the character of

the neighborhood while still allowing residents to build attractive

second stories, Ford said.

And while his service to the community was largely felt, it paled

in comparison to the devotion and love he showed to his two daughters

and his loving wife, all of whom survive him.

A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. today at St.

Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at 600 Andrew’s Road, Newport Beach. In

lieu of flowers, family members ask that donations be given to the

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum or the Hoag Cancer Center.