Alejandro Roces, Filipino writer and government official, Secretary of Education (1961–1965) died he was , 86.

Alejandro Reyes Roces was a Filipino author, essayist, dramatist and a National Artist of the Philippines for literature. He served as Secretary of Education from 1961 to 1965, during the term of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal.

(13 July 1924 - 23 May 2011)

Noted for his short stories,the Manila-born Roces was married to Irene Viola, with whom he has a daughter named Elizabeth Roces-Pedrosa. Anding attended elementary and high school at the Ateneo de Manila University, before moving to the Arizona State Universityfor his tertiary education. He graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts and, not long after, attained his M.A. from Far Eastern University back in the Philippines.^[1] He has since received honorary doctorates from Tokyo University, Baguio's St. Louis University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the Ateneo de Manila University. Roces was a captain in the Marking’s Guerilla during World War II and a columnist in Philippine dailies such as the Manila Chronicle and the Manila Times. He was previously President of the Manila Bulletin and of the CAP College Foundation.
In 2001, Roces was appointed as Chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). Roces also became a member of the Board of Trustees of GSIS (Government Service Insurance System) and maintained a column in the Philippine Star called Roses and Thorns.

Literary works

During his freshman year in the University of Arizona, Roces won Best Short Story for We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers. Another of his stories, My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken, was listed as Martha Foley’s Best American Stories among the most distinctive for years 1948 and 1951. Roces did not only focus on short stories alone, as he also published books such as Of Cocks and Kites (1959), Fiesta (1980), and Something to Crow About (2005). Of Cocks and Kites earned him the reputation as the country's best writer of humorous stories. It also contained the widely anthologized piece “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken”. Fiesta, is a book of essays, featuring folk festivals such as Ermita's Bota Flores, Aklan's Ati-atihan, and Naga's Peñafrancia.
Something to Crow About, on the other hand, is a collection of Roces’ short stories. The book has been recently brought to life by a critically acclaimed play of the same title; the staged version of Something to Crow About is the first Filipino zarzuela in English. This modern zarzuela tells the story of a poor cockfighter named Kiko who, to his wife's chagrin, pays more attention to the roosters than to her. Later in the story, a conflict ensues between Kiko’s brother Leandro and Golem, the son of a wealthy and powerful man, over the affections of a beautiful woman named Luningning. The resolution? A cockfight, of course. Something to Crow About won the Aliw Award for Best Musical and Best Director for a Musical Production.
Through the years, Roces has won numerous awards, including the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, the Diwa ng Lahi Award, the Tanging Parangal of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, and the Rizal Pro Patria Award. He was finally bestowed the honor as National Artist of Literature on the 25th of June 2003.
When once asked for a piece of advice on becoming a famous literary figure Roces said, "You cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person".^[2]

Awards

• National Artist Award for Literature, Republic of the Philippines – 2003
• The Rizal Pro Patria Award, Republic of the Philippines
• Grand Cross for Distinguished Service with Star and Epaulement of the Order for Distinguished Service of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Orden de Isabel la Catolica, Spain
• Gran Cruz la Orden del MeritoCivil, Spain
• Orden de la Aguila Azteca, Mexico
• Tanda Kehormatan Bintang Mahaputera, Republic of Indonesia
• Grand Maitre de L’Ordre National, Republic of Malagasy
• Order of the White Elephant, Kingdom of Thailand
• Order of the Brilliant Star, China
• One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines, chosen by the Junior Chamber of Commerce for distinction in Journalism
• Awarded, Patnubay ng Kalinangan (Vanguard of Cul*ture), City of Manila – 1988
• Granted the Conde de Foxa Award for El Llegado and La Campana de Baler at the Certamen Cine Documental Ibero-Americano y Filipino, Bilbao, Spain
• Awarded, Diwa ng Lahi (Spirit of the Race), City of Manila – 1988
• Appointed Honorary Ambassador-at-Large for Guam - 1998
• Awarded the Tanging Parangal ng CCP, Gawad CCP Para sa Sining – 1990
• Philippines S.E.A. Write Awardee – 1997
• Recipient of Plaque of Recognition, The Royal and Pontifical, University of Santo Tomassss (UST) - 1999
• Recipient of Green and Gold Artist Award, Far Eastern University (FEU) – 1994
• Recipient of Special Plaque of Recognition from the Consulate General of the Philippines to Guam
• Recipient Plaque of Appreciation from the Korea Art Culture Association of the Republic of Korea
• Recipient of Plaque of Recognition from the Filipino-American Service Group, Inc. – 2007
• Recipient of Mayor’s Commendation, City of Glendale, CA, USA – Given by Mayor Ara Njarian- 2007
• Recipient of the Certificate of Recognition given by the County of Santa Clara, CA, USA – 2007
• Recipient of Plaque of Appreciation, Philippine National BANK (PNB) – 2007
• Recipient of Plaque of Recognition, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) – 2003
• Recipient of Outstanding Citizen Award, City of Makati, 1997
• Recipient of Plaque of Appreciation from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) – 1994
• Recipient of Plaque of Appreciation from the Philippine Association of Management Accountants – 1997
• Recipient of Plaque of Appreciation from the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines – 1999
• Recipient of Plaque of Appreciation from the Philippine British Society – 2003
• Recipient of Plaque of Appreciation from the Consular Corps of the Philippines – 2006
• Recipient of Plaque of Gratitude from the Diwa Scholastic Press, Inc. – 2005
• Recipient of the Statuette of Fr. Theopiel Verbist, Founder of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Louis University – 2004
• Recipient of the Maria Clara Legacy Award – 2006

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Xavier Tondó, Spanish cyclist, died when he was crushed by car he was , 32.

Xavier Tondo Volpini was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist who specialized in mountain stages of bicycle races  died when he was crushed by car he was , 32.

(Valls, Spain 5 November 1978 – Monachil, Spain, 23 May 2011)

Death

Tondo was killed after being apparently trapped between his own garage door and car, and crushed by the door, while preparing his bicycle for a ride. His body was discovered after he failed to show up for the ride with friend and teammate Beñat Intxausti.^[1]

Drugs

In February 2011, it was reported that a pro cyclist had tipped off police about a doping ring. Tondo was later identified as the cyclist.
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, Tondo received an email in December 2010, which offered several doping products, including EPO, human growth hormone, Nandrolone, and Clenbuterol, all at low prices. Tondo gave the email to the police.^[2]

Palmarès

2002

1st Stage 7 Tour of Qinghai Lake

2005

1st Overall Volta ao Alentejo

1st Stage 4

1st Stage 3 Vuelta a Asturias

2007

1st Overall Troféu Joaquim Agostinho

1st Prologue

1st Overall Volta a Portugal

2008

1st Subida al Naranco

2009

1st Stage 5 Tour de San Luis

8th Overall Volta a Catalunya

2010

1st Stage 6 Paris-Nice

2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya

1st Stage 3

6th Overall Vuelta a España

2011

1st Stage 4 Tour de San Luis (ITT)

1st Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León

6th Overall Volta a Catalunya

5th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Joseph Brooks, American Grammy-winning songwriter ("You Light Up My Life"), died from suicide by asphyxiation he was , 73.

Joseph Brooks was an American screenwriter, director, producer, and composer died from suicide by asphyxiation he was , 73.. He composed the song "You Light Up My Life" for the film of the same name that he also wrote, directed, and produced. In his later years he became the subject of an investigation after being accused of a series of casting-couch rapes. He was indicted in 2009, but committed suicide on May 22, 2011, before he could be brought to trial.

(March 11, 1938 – May 22, 2011)

Career

In the 1960s, Brooks composed advertising jingles for clients including Pepsi ("You've Got a Lot to Live") and Maxwell House ("Good to the Last Drop Feeling").^[2] He received numerous Clio Awards for his work, as well as a People's Choice Award.^[2]
In October 1977 "You Light Up My Life" reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts and held the top position for 10 consecutive weeks, then the longest #1 run in the chart's history. With sales of over four million copies in the U.S. alone, the song ultimately became the biggest hit of the 1970s. It also hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and was even a top 10 country single. The passionate ballad also earned Brooks a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award and an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award. The song was Debby Boone's first solo hit record and only top 40 pop hit.
Brooks also composed music for the film The Lords of Flatbush and co-produced Eddie and the Cruisers. He also directed other films and Broadway shows, including In My Life. Then, after "Life", he was hit with a stroke, which stopped him from composing and writing music and his world changed.

Personal life

Brooks' brother is Gilbert Kaplan, an amateur Mahler scholar who founded Institutional Investor magazine. Brooks and ex-wife Susan Paul had two children: Amanda was born in 1981 and Nicholas was born five years later. At the time of Brooks' death, Nicholas, a former student at the University of Colorado, was awaiting trial in New York City, charged with the murder of his girlfriend, swimwear designer Sylvie Cachay, in a New York hotel room on December 9, 2010.^[2]

Sexual assault indictment

In June 2009, Joseph Brooks was arrested on charges of raping or sexually assaulting 11 women lured to his East Side apartment from 2005 to 2008. His female assistant was charged with helping him.^[3] At least four different women accused him of sexual assault. He allegedly lured the women to his apartment to audition for movie roles.^[4] Often, the women responded to a notice that Brooks had posted on Craigslist and flew to New York from across the United States at Brooks’ expense, the dis­trict attorney’s account said.^[5] He was indicted on June 23, 2009. He was to be tried in the state Supreme Court for Manhattan (a trial-level court) on 91 counts of rape, sexual abuse, criminal sexual act, assault, and other charges.^[6]
The grand jury heard more evidence on December 17, 2009, because two new witnesses came forward. However, Brooks died before he could be tried.
His assistant, Shawni Lucier, has pleaded guilty to a total 10 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal facilitation, admitting she helped Brooks commit felony sex assaults -- including rape -- against 10 would-be starlets. Lucier's job was to arrange the young women's travel, and to weed out those who wanted to bring boyfriends and mothers -- and to ignore their phone calls afterward. She knew full well, she admitted, that he just wanted to give the "girls" wine, have them read from a lascivious script, and then pounce. She stated, "One girl came out drunk and stumbling... She would send people to meet Joe Brooks at 10 or 11 at night. Joe Brooks thought that was the magic hour and she guesses it was easier for him to seduce them."^[7]

Death

Police reported on May 22, 2011, that Brooks was found dead in his Upper East Side apartment by a friend.^[8] A plastic dry cleaning bag was around Brooks' head, and a towel was around his neck; a helium tank with an attached hose and a suicide note were found nearby.^[9] Police officials would not dis­cuss the con­tents of the note. On May 23, 2011, the medical examiner ruled that Brooks had committed suicide, citing asphyxia by helium.^[10]

Theater credits

• Metropolis (1989), West End musical — composer, co-lyricist
• In My Life (2005), Broadway musical — writer, composer, lyricist^[11][12]

Films

• Invitation to a Wedding — (1983)
• If Ever I See You Again — Director (1978)
• You Light Up My Life — Director (1977)

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Chidananda Dasgupta, Indian film critic died he was , 89.

Chidananda Das Gupta (family name sometimes spelled 'Dashgupta' and 'Dasgupta', was a Bengali Indian filmmaker, a leading film critic, a film historian and one of the founders of Calcutta Film Society with Satyajit Ray in 1947 died he was , 89.. He lived and worked in Calcutta and Santiniketan.

(1921 – 22 May 2011),

Early life

Son of Shantilata and Manmathanath Dasgupta, a Brahmo missionary and social worker, he was born at Shillong, Assam, India in 1921. In 1944 he married, Supriya Das, a daughter of Brahmananda Dashgupta, brother of poet Jibanananda Das. His daughter Aparna Sen is a well known actress and filmmaker. Actress Konkona Sen Sharma is his granddaughter.
Das Gupta had a flick with politics during the anti-British Quit India movement days of 1940s. This forced him on to jobs – teaching at St. Columba’s College, Hazaribagh, personal assistant to Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis at the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, teaching at City College, Calcutta, journalism, and then a plush job in advertising with Imperial Tobacco.

The film society movement

In 1947, Das Gupta, along with Satyajit Ray and Hari Sadhan Dasgupta, founded the Calcutta Film Society. The opportunity to see the best of world cinema had a decisive impact on Ray as well as others like Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak.
In 1959, the Federation of Film Societies of India was set up at the initiative of Das Gupta, Satyajit Ray, Mrs. Vijaya Mulay, Mrs. Ammu Swaminathan, Robert Hawkins, Diptendu Pramanick, Abul Hassan and A. Roychowdhury. The Federation has played a major role in the spread of the film society movement in India.

Writing and translations

Das Gupta is well known for his essays and translations of Rabindranath Thakur, Manik Bandopadhyay and Jibanananda Das. He had a close association with poet Jibanananda Das during the latter's lifetime which gave him unique insights into the poetry of Jibanananda Das that is often alleged to be obscure and unintelligible.^[2]
The most famous poem of Bengali literature, namely, Banalata Sen by poet Jibanananda Das has been rendered into English by Das Gupta. It reads as follows:
Banalata Sen
For aeons have I roamed the roads of the earth.
From the seas of Ceylon to the straits of Malaya
I have journeyed, alone, in the enduring night,
And down the dark corridor of time I have walked
Through mist of Bimbisara, Asoka, darker Vidarbha.
Round my weary soul the angry waves still roar;
My only peace I knew with Banalata Sen of Natore.

Her hair was dark as night in Vidisha;
Her face the sculpture of Sravasti.
I saw her, as a sailor after the storm
Rudderless in the sea, spies of a sudden
The grass-green heart of the leafy island.
‘Where were you so long?' she asked, and more
With her bird's-nest eyes, Banalata Sen of Natore.

As the footfall of dew comes evening;
The raven wipes the smell of warm sun
From its wings; the world's noises die.
And in the light of fireflies the manuscript
Prepares to weave the fables of night;
Every bird is home, every river reached the ocean.
Darkness remains; and time for Banalata Sen.^[3]

Writing about cinema

Chidananda Das Gupta is best known as a film historian and film critic. He has written over 2000 articles on cinema in various periodicals. In 1957 he, along with Ray and others, started the Indian Film Quarterly. His contributions to the British film magazine Sight and Sound have permanent archival value. He has studied closely the work of his friend Satyajit Ray, and his 1980 book The Cinema of Satyajit Ray remains one of the definitive works on Ray.

Awards

In 2004 Chidananada Das Gupta was honoured at the Osian Film Festival, 2004, with a Lifetime Achievement Award for writing on cinema.^[4]

Filmmaker

Das Gupta directed as many as seven films, namely The Stuff Of Steel (1969), The Dance of Shiva (1968), Portrait of a City (1961), Amodini (1994), Zaroorat Ki Purti (1979), Rakhto (1973) and Bilet Pherat (1972)^[5] Of these he composed only two. These are Bilet Pherat and Amodini, the latter starring both his daughter Aparna Sen and his granddaughter Konkona Sen Sharma.^[6]
Amodini was made in 1996. It was a one hour forty five minutes family comedy. Casting included Aparna Sen, Rachana Banerjee, Anusree Das and Pijush Ganguly, among others. A satirical Indian fairy tale, it is set in the perspective of 18th century, when traditional social customs were strictly enforced and complied. The storyline is about the exploits of a pretty and spoiled daughter of a rajah (king) who is forced to become the bride of her 15-year-old Brahmin houseboy after the man she was supposed to marry jilts her on her wedding day. If she does not marry before sunset, something horrible will happen to her; therefore she must marry the servant boy. After the ceremony, the boy is exiled and the union remains unconsummated. Years pass and tragedy befalls the rajah who loses all his wealth. Suddenly the servant boy returns, only he is no longer a servant. Now he has become wealthy and powerful enough to take the rajah's position from him. Even though by then he has married another, his former bride begs him to take her in.^[7]

Later life

As an elderly man, Das Gupta was physically impaired from Parkinson's disease. He used wheel chair to move and his voice was barely audible. However he remained active. He always dressed up in trademark cream kurta-pyjama. His white stubble around the cheeks well passed for a French beard. It has been said that Chidananda Das Gupta was a picture of 'restraint' and 'dignity'.^[8] He died on 22 May 2011 in Kolkata after catching bronchopneumonia brought on by Parkinson's disease.^[9]

Publications

• Seeing is Believing: Selected Writings on Cinema, 2008, Penguin Books, New Delhi.
• Selected Poems - Jibanananda Das, 2006, Penguin Books, New Delhi.
• The Cinema of Satyajit Ray, 2001, National Book Trust.
• The Painted Face: Studies in India's Popular Cinemas, 1991, Roli Books.
• Satyajit Ray: An anthology of statements on Ray and by Ray: edited by Chidananda Das Gupta, 1981, Film India.
• Talking about Films, 1981, Orient Longman.
• Unpopular Cinema, Macmillan India Ltd.

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Matej Ferjan, Slovenian motorcycle speedway rider died he was , 34

Matej Ferjan), was a Slovenian motorcycle speedway rider who also rode for the Hungary national speedway team died he was , 34.

(January 5, 1977 – May 22, 2011

Ferjan was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia.^[2] He was a five-time Slovenian champion (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) and a six-time Hungarian champion (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). In 1998 he won a third place in Individual U-21 World Championship. In 2004, he was second in the Individual European Championship. He was also a permanent rider in the 2001 and 2002 Speedway Grand Prix. He was also the first foreigner to win the Polish Criterium of Aces, winning in 2007.
On 22 May 2011 Ferjan was found dead in his van at the apartment block where he lived in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland. His cause of death has not been confirmed.^[3][4]
Ferjan had a son, Mark, born April 19, 2004, and a daughter, Victoria.

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Bob Gould, Australian activist and bookseller died he was , 74.

Robert Stephen "Bob" Gould was an Australian activist and bookseller. He was a leader of the anti-conscription movement, and of protests against Australian involvement in the Vietnam War, in the 1960s. He went on to become a successful second-hand bookseller.

(1937 – 22 May 2011)

Politics and activism

Gould first came to public attention in 1966 as Convenor of the Vietnam Action Campaign, a group opposed to conscription and participation in the Vietnam War. Gould was already being described as a "habitual protestor".^[1] By 1969 Gould was seen as having influence over Labor Clubs at the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University.^[2]
Gould went on to fight for many other issues, including Irish civil rights,^[3] Indonesian atrocities in East Timor,^[4] and the war on Iraq.^[5] He was a prolific writer on the many causes in which he believed.^[6] ASIO held a file on Gould that ran to 8000 pages.^[7]
In 1966 Gould helped to chase and capture the attempted assassin of Labor leader Arthur Calwell.^[8]

Bookseller

A typical aisle at Gould's Book Arcade, Newtown

Gould opened twelve bookshops and closed eleven since opening his first shop, the Third World Bookshop, in 1967.^[9]
Gould's shops pushed the boundaries of Australia's strict censorship laws at the time, and he was often raided by police.^[8]
An article on Gould's business appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald just two months before his death.^[10]

Death

Gould died on Sunday, 22 May 2011 from injuries sustained in a fall while sorting books at his store. He was 74. Over 500 people attended his funeral on 26 May 2011 at Macquarie Park, the service being extended by thirty minutes to provide for all of the eulogies.^[11]
Federal politicians Andrew Leigh and Daryl Melham paid tribute to Gould in the Australian parliament.^[12] New South Wales Opposition Leader John Robertson and government minister Brad Hazzard eulogised Gould in the Parliament of New South Wales.^[13]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Ralph Hunt, Australian politician, MP for Gwydir (1969–1989) died he was , 83

Ralph James Dunnet Hunt AO was an Australian politician died he was , 83.

(31 March 1928 – 22 May 2011)

Hunt was born in Narrabri, New South Wales and was a farmer and grazier before entering the Australian Parliament. He was a councillor of Boomi Shire Council from 1956 to 1968 and Vice-President of it from 1962 to 1968. He won the seat of Gwydir for the Country Party at a by-election in June 1969 following the resignation of Ian Allan. He was appointed Minister for the Interior in the Second Gorton Ministry in February 1971 and held that position until the defeat of the government at the 1972 election.^[1]
Following the Liberal-National Country Party Coalition's win at the 1975 election, Malcolm Fraser appointed him Minister for Health. In December 1979, Fraser appointed Hunt Minister for Transport. His portfolio became Transport and Construction in April 1982, but the coalition government was defeated at the 1983 election.
He became Deputy Leader of the National Party from 1984 to 1987. He resigned from Parliament in February 1989.^[1] He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 1990.^[2]
He died on 22 May 2011, aged 83.^[3]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here