He spent 16 years in Calif. prison and died 2 months after release. Now his story is being shared.

Arnulfo Garcia and current San Quentin News Chief Editor Richard Richardson on day they received SPJ Membership Letters on December 18, 2015. Arnulfo Garcia and current San Quentin News Chief Editor Richard Richardson on day they received SPJ Membership Letters on December 18, 2015. Photo: Elisabeth Fall/Fallfoto.com Photo: Elisabeth Fall/Fallfoto.com Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close He spent 16 years in Calif. prison and died 2 months after release. Now his story is being shared. 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

Arnulfo Garcia spent almost 50 years in and out of California prisons. On Saturday, two months after his release from San Quentin State Prison, Garcia died in a car crash southeast of Gilroy. His sister, Yolanda Hernandez, died alongside him.

The pair was driving to look at a property for a re-entry home Garcia, 65, planned to build for former inmates, said their sister Carmelita Vargas.

"Arnulfo had a second chance at life," said Vargas. "Unfortunately, it got taken too quick."

Vargas described Hernandez, 56, as a "loving mother and good friend."

Though Garcia worked from within the prison, his impact was felt far beyond the confines of jail, largely due to his work as editor-in-chief of the prison's award-winning newspaper, the San Quentin News.

Krissi Khokhobashvili, a public information officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and an adviser to the San Quentin News, said Garcia had "big plans" upon his release.

"His dream was to open a re-entry home of people coming out of prison because he firmly believed people needed support," she said.

After his July 24 release, Garcia, a San Jose native and three-striker serving a 25-to-life sentence for charges including robbery and drug possession, was living in a Hayward halfway house.

Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen says Garcia was "more than a model inmate."

"He not only changed his life, but helped other men to change theirs," he said.

Rosen had spoken a handful of times at forums organized by Garcia to educate prisoners about developments in criminal justice laws.

Attorney Dan Barton, who represented Garcia for 20 years, says these forums often resulted in schooling the visiting prosecutors, too. Even when discussions became heated, Barton says Garcia had an incredible ability to "keep everything on track."

"He was the perfect moderator," Barton said.

Garcia's natural leadership abilities shone in his tenure as editor-in-chief of San Quentin News. The paper is written, produced and edited by inmates with outside support from professional journalists.

Khokhobashvili remembers, about 10 years ago, when San Quentin News consisted of a few men operating out of a mobile classroom with almost no supplies or resources. Under Garcia's leadership, the paper grew into a massive operation, with dozens of staff members, thousands in grant money and a monthly circulation of more than 20,000 delivered inside and outside the California prison system. In 2015, San Quentin became a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Nancy Mullane, an investigative journalist and host of "Life of the Law," met Garcia in 2007 while working on a story for NPR. Mullane says it's hard to fathom the challenges Garcia faced as editor-in-chief of a prison paper, from internal politics and security issues to reporting stories without a Wi-Fi connection.

"There's this vibrancy of professionalism, networking, skill development [at the paper]," Mullane said. "He made that."

But Garcia's influence was felt outside the newsroom as well.

Said Mullane, "In San Quentin, I don't know anyone who would have a bad thing to say about Arnulfo."

As testament to this, Khokhobashvili says Garcia's passing was announced at both the Protestant and Catholic services at San Quentin Sunday.

Vargas and Garcia's brother, Arturo Garcia, say the family plans to carry on Arnulfo's incredible legacy by building the re-entry house their brother envisioned, and fundraising for the San Quentin News.

Their efforts will start, says Carmelita, "as soon as I lay my brother and sister to rest."

A funeral is tentatively planned for October.

Aly Tamboura, Garcia's friend and former colleague on the San Quentin News, started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the service. Tamboura says leftover donations will be donated to Garcia's daughter, Carmen.

The fatal accident occurred Saturday at 7:39 a.m. between Frazer Lake Rd. and Shore Rd. near Gilroy. According to the California Highway Patrol, Hernandez rolled through a stop sign and collided with two other vehicles in the intersection. The four passengers in the other vehicles did not require transport for injuries.

Garcia is survived by his daughter and siblings Arthur Garcia, Leilana Garcia, Jesus Garcia, Nicholas Garcia, Maria Rodriguez and Carmelita Vargas.

Hernandez is survived by her children Corrina Castaneda, Joseph Hernandez, Lisa Hernandez, Raymond Nuno, and nine grandchildren.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of years Garcia spent in prison. Garcia spent nine years in San Quentin and 16 years total in California prisons.

Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.