Iris Sankey, First Local Woman on Tax Board, Dies
Iris Sankey, the first woman to serve on the State Board of Equalization in the Second District and a longtime political activist in San Diego County, died of cancer Sunday at Scripps Memorial Hospital-La Jolla. She was 57.
Sankey, who lived in Del Mar, was appointed to the Board of Equalization by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. in 1976 and served for two years.
During her time on the state’s major tax agency, Sankey worked for the hiring of more women and minorities. She served as chairwoman of the board’s Tax Information and Equal Employment Opportunity committees.
She was a member of the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee from 1976 until her death and was a delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
Sankey was born in Oak Park, Ill., and attended high school in Los Angeles. She graduated from Palomar College and San Diego State University. She was president of the Palomar College Development Foundation.
She is survived by a son, Jerry, of Del Mar; a daughter, Elyse Sankey, of Escondido, and a granddaughter.
Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Mathis Center, 3rd and Kalmia streets, Escondido.
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