‘He was a real warrior’

Phil Arst was determined. He didn’t want to give up on his small beach town staying a small beach town, even if it did get a little bigger and more popular. So he fought for his beliefs, through sickness and health, and he made a name for himself in doing so.

Arst, a major political figure and activist in Newport Beach for years, died Wednesday afternoon of complications from a liver transplant. It was his 79th birthday.

Arst received a liver transplant four years ago and had been suffering medical issues due to the surgery ever since, his daughter Denise Ruffner said. He died at Victoria Healthcare Center in Costa Mesa.

Arst was known for spearheading the Greenlight initiative, which gives citizens of Newport Beach the right to vote on any development that changes from its original conception outlined in the general plan, rather than just having the City Council vote on it. Voters approved the initiative in November 2000.

He carried on his work with the Greenlight residents’ group as an organization that worked to “slow” the development of Newport Beach and to work against rises in traffic.

“He was gravely concerned about traffic and the growth of the area causing Newport Beach to be turned into a city like Santa Monica where there is a possibility of gridlock on city streets,” said George Jeffries, who worked with Arst on the Greenlight initiative and lives just a few houses away from Arst’s home. “He viewed the city as a beach city, not a metropolis, and thought we should do what we could to preserve its small-town character.”

Arst, who served in the Navy, moved to California after receiving his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. He had visited California during his time in the Navy and fell in love with the region, Ruffner said.

Soon after moving to California with his wife, Margareth, they came to Newport Beach and made it their home for more than 30 years.

“He loved the ocean, he loved the views, the breezes, the casual lifestyle,” Ruffner said. “Here is a guy who loved Newport Beach and the life.”

Despite being ill for much of the latter part of his life, Arst continued to work toward his goal of keeping the development of Newport Beach in check. He was involved in creating the general plan in 2006 and was active in raising funds to support initiatives and to endorse City Council candidates.

“He was concerned when traffic started increasing, and Fashion Island sprang up in our time, and it didn’t sit well with him,” Ruffner said. “This is where us as kids rode our bikes to the beach every day, and he loved that. He started getting involved with the city of Newport Beach, one that he loved, because he didn’t want that to fade away into a big metropolis.”

Arst, who was proud of his Navy service, worked in marketing for technology industries for much of his life post-Navy. He was an early employee at Intel, was involved in some start-up companies and eventually worked as a consultant.

But he was more than a successful businessman or political activist. To his family, he was also a devoted father. Ruffner admired the man who took her to the beach, taught her how to swim and body surf, and challenged his children to study abroad to learn more about other cultures.

“A lot of us sit on our couches and complain about something, but it is a rare person who devotes time and energy and mobilizes other people for something that he believes in, and I really admired that,” Ruffner said.

Arst continued to be concerned for Newport Beach up until his final month of life. He recently made arrangements with Jean Watt, Phil Drachman and Allan Beek to continue Greenlight after he was gone.

Arst is survived by his wife of 50 years, Margareth, and his daughters Ruffner and Renee Arst.

There will be a memorial service July 19 at a location to be announced. For more information, call (949) 721-1272.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to Disabled Sports USA, 6060 Sunrise Vista Drive, Suite 2540, Citrus Heights, CA, 95610.

AGE: 79

BIRTH DATE: July 2, 1929

BIRTHPLACE: Chicago

FAMILY: Wife of 50 years, Margareth, daughters Denise Ruffner and Renee Arst, and deceased son, Jerry Arst.

EDUCATION: U.S. Naval Academy, then received master’s of business administration from the University of Chicago.

FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Scuba diving, body surfing, tennis

INTERESTING FACT: Lived in Newport Beach for 33 years.

VOICES ON PHIL ARST

“He was dedicated in pursuing his goals and trying to maintain what he saw as important values in Newport Beach. When he got up and talked, people listened to what he had to say.”

Ed Selich

Newport Beach Mayor

“Sometimes we would sit around and say, ‘How would Phil Arst look at this?’”

Dave Kiff

Newport Beach Assistant City Manager

“He was a real warrior. He did a lot of work when he was seriously ill. He was an icon and the man can be admired for that. We should use him as an example as to how to persevere in the presence of adversity. People should think about him when they travel in relatively low traffic compared to other cities.”

Dr. Jan Vandersloot

Greenlight steering committee member

“Phil was a great competitor. He served the community at the time we needed him to serve the community. For a guy that was ill at the time, too, he didn’t stop.

He didn’t quit.”

Dolores Otting

Former opponent for City Council seat

“He was a mild person. He was honest. He was legitimate. He didn’t have a personal agenda. His agenda was in caring for the city and trying to make it better or preserve it as it was.”

George Jeffries

Corona del Mar resident

“He was more aggressive and more strident than I am. He got results, he got people aroused and involved. We lost by about 3% on Measure V, but Phil worked awfully hard on it.”

Allan Beek

“Greenlight was a powerful brand. Its messages struck a chord in the community.”

Leslie Daigle

Newport Beach City Councilwoman

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.