Helen Elizabeth Jarvis

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to many, Helen passed peacefully on April 7, 2011. Born on August 14, 1926, in Alberta, Canada, her family moved to California in 1933. She earned a degree in education at the University of Southern California where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. It was there that she met the love of her life, Casey Jarvis, her husband of 63 years. In 1955, they moved to Corona del Mar where they started their family business, Jarco Inc., and raised their four children. For many years Helen volunteered at the Dental Center of the Newport Beach Assistance League. She adored playing bridge, gardening, knitting, tennis, and golf. Never content to just ‘sit around’ she traveled to Europe and exotic locales on multiple cruises with Casey. The two spent anniversaries on Maui, summers living aboard their boat in Avalon harbor and enjoyed their friends at Catalina Island’s Isthmus Yacht Club. Lunch with ‘The Glendale Girls’ (Glendale High School pals), Pan-Hellenic events supporting USC, and weekly bridge games with friends brought her great joy. “H”, “Tenney”, “Sis”, “Mom” or “Grandma” was known to all as fun-loving, positive, and inspirational. She had an easy laugh and was a great storyteller. But above all else, Helen found beauty in life’s simple pleasures: a sunset on the bluff, selecting roses for the garden and sharing everyday moments with her family. She is survived by her husband, Edward “Casey” Jarvis; her four children, Nancy (Tuck) Coop, Julie (Sean) Tierney, Peter (Deborah) Jarvis and Michael (Tamerra) Jarvis; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and her sisters Mary (Clark) Hubbs and Susan (John) Herrschaft. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Corona del Mar Community Church. Private services will be held. A celebration of Helen’s life will be scheduled at a date to be announced.