Estelle Jarvis, 91; Aided Husband’s Effort to Put Proposition 13 on Ballot
Estelle Jarvis, 91, the widow of Howard Jarvis, who won voter approval for his landmark Proposition 13 tax reform initiative in 1978, died Thursday of complications associated with old age at her home in Los Angeles, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. announced.
In his 1979 book, “I’m Mad as Hell: The Exclusive Story of the Tax Revolt and Its Leader,” Howard Jarvis gave his wife credit for helping to place what became known as the Jarvis Initiative on the ballot: Every day for three months, she organized a crew of women who gathered about a thousand signatures a day.
Born Estelle Garcia on Aug. 12, 1914, in St. Johns, Ariz., she became Howard Jarvis’ third wife around 1965. Once Proposition 13 passed, she would host all-day conversations between her husband and then-Gov. Jerry Brown.
After her husband’s death in 1986, she remained on the board of directors of the association, an anti-tax group.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
