Navarro retired in 1977 and spent the last 28 years of his life overseeing his investments and enjoying "dining at his favorite Westside steakhouses.

"[4] He died in his sleep at the age of 101 on September 7, 2005, and was survived by his wife and a stepson, Armen Haig Stevens.

[4][5][6] 1951 At the beginning of 1951, four candidates had begun their campaigns for election to Los Angeles's 10th District seat on the City Council — the incumbent, G. Vernon Bennett, as well as Assemblyman Vernon Kilpatrick, 1332 Hope Street; Sam B. Whitworth, 2106 Wilmot Street; Charles Downs, 1607 Venice Blvd.

The district was "in the south-central section of the city," bounded by Wilshire and Jefferson boulevards and La Brea Avenue and Main Street.

[16][17][18] Navarro announced in December 1960 his determination to unseat 70-year-old Dan O. Hoye, who had been city controller for 24 years and who said that his ambition was to equal the 28-year record of his predecessor in office, John Myers.

[19] Navarro, chairman of the City Council's finance committee, was endorsed by the president of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association[20] and the Los Angeles Times.

[21] Navarro won the election, 187,122 votes against 133,569 for Hoye, 67,318 for certified public accountant Harry C. Fischer and 25.683 for management consultant Cecil R.

[28][29] He testified also in the 1975 trial of a woman who was charged with taking part in a "multimillion dollar plan to defraud the Los Angeles municipal treasury by cashing stolen city checks."

The same year he persuaded the City Council to purchase two check-writing machines that "would make forging a controller's signature virtually impossible.