Jerry Poteet, American martial arts instructor, died he was 61,

Jerry Poteet was an American martial arts instructor, recognized for his teachings in the art of Jeet Kune Do as an original Bruce Lee student died he was 61,.


(November 29,1936 – January 15,2012)

Biography

Jerry Poteet was known by many as “the conscience of Jeet Kune Do.” After the death of his teacher, Jerry stood firm, refusing to water down the art that had such an enormous impact in his life. In fact, Jerry credited his teacher, Bruce Lee, with giving him the tools to survive, “the fight of my life”, when he was compelled to undergo a liver transplant in 1995. Until his death, Jerry taught Jeet Kune Do to the next generation of students and instructors, who will keep the flame alive. Sifu Poteet taught martial arts for over 40 years. Like many young men in the 1960s, Jerry began his martial arts career in Kenpo, and became a black belt under renowned Kenpo Instructor Ed Parker. Poteet was also selected to be in a “closed door” group of five students. In the years since, Jerry used his martial arts expertise to train the Dallas Cowboys football team, executive bodyguard Hollywood celebrities, and choreograph the fight scenes of several motion pictures.
His proudest achievement was that he was chosen as the person best able to train the actor who would portray his teacher, Bruce Lee, in "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story". Over the years, Jerry refined a teaching method that, like the art of Jeet Kune Do itself, strips away the inessentials. It was this method he used to train actor Jason Scott Lee for the role. For Sifu Poteet, it was his way of giving something back to his teacher, "Bruce, for all he gave me."
Some of Jerry's notable students were Jason Scott Lee and Kevin Sorbo. In addition to choreographing Jason Scott Lee's key fight scenes in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Jerry worked with him on Soldier and Time Cop 2: The Berlin Decision.
The last years of Sifu Poteet's life was dedicated to preserving and refining the precious legacy he received from his Instructor, Bruce Lee. His students are noted for amazing skills, all attributable to Jerry's unique teaching method and curriculum.
He died on January 15, 2012.^[2] Today, Poteet's legacy is being kept alive by protege Sifu Fran Poteet Joseph through the Jerry Poteet Jeet Kune Do Association.^[3]



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Michael Mussa, American economist, died from heart failure he was 67.

Michael Louis Mussa was an American economist and academic died from heart failure he was 67.. He was chief economist at the International Monetary Fund from 1991 to 2001, and was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers from 1986 to 1988. He was also a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics from 2001 until his death in 2012.^[1][2][3]

^{(April 15, 1944 – January 15, 2012)} 

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Matteo La Grua, Italian priest and exorcist, died he was 97.

Father Matteo La Grua ^[1] was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and exorcist of the Fransican Order  died he was 97.. He was the author of several books in Italian, including La preghiera di liberazione.^[2]

^{(February 14, 1914 – January 15, 2012)}

He entered the priesthood on July 25, 1937. For over thirty years he was the official exorcist of the Archdiocese of Palermo, Italy. On Saturday, July 22, 2007, Father La Grua celebrated his 70th anniversary in the priesthood.
In a book printed in Italian called the President of the Exorcists written by the senior exorcist of Rome, Father Gabriele Amorth, there is a section by Father La Gura on curses and prayers of liberation.



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Samuel Jaskilka, American Marine Corps general, died from pneumonia he was 92.

Samuel Jaskilka was a four-star general whose last assignment was Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (1975–1978)  died from pneumonia he was 92.. General Jaskilka is a highly decorated veteran of the Korean War, having led the landing at Inchon as a company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1978 after 34 years of service.


(December 15, 1919 – January 15, 2012) 

Biography

Samuel Jaskilka was born on December 15, 1919, in Ansonia, Connecticut, in a family of Ukrainian-Americans. He graduated from Ansonia High School in 1937. In May 1942, he graduated from the University of Connecticut, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
On September 26, 1942, Jaskilka accepted an appointment as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was assigned to active duty. He completed the Reserve Officers' Class, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia in 1942, and completed the Sea School at Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1943. He accepted an appointment in the regular Marine Corps in March 1943.

World War II

During World War II, Jaskilka served aboard the USS Princeton and participated in the Tarawa Island raid, the Gilbert Islands Operation, the Marshall Islands Operation, Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Wolei raids, Marianas Operation, Western Caroline Islands Operation and the Leyte Operation. He served on the USS Princeton and survived its sinking in the Battle of Leyte Gulf On October 24, 1944. He was promoted to first lieutenant on June 22, 1943.
Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned duty as Instructor, Headquarters Company, Troop Leaders Battalion, Camp Pendleton, California until August 1945. He was promoted to captain in January 1945.

After the war

From September 1945 until May 1947, Captain Jaskilka saw tours of independent duty with District Headquarters Recruiting Station, Manchester, New Hampshire, and District Headquarters Recruiting Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In January 1948, he completed the Amphibious Warfare School, Junior Course, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, and became Commanding Officer, Marine Detachment, U.S. Naval Air Activities, Port Lyautey, French Morocco.

Korean War

In September 1949, Jaskilka joined the 1st Marine Division and later embarked with the division for Korea serving successively as Battalion Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of Company E, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marines. He led the first wave of Marines onto Red Beach on September 15, 1950 in the Invasion of Inchon, Pusan Perimeter as CO of Company E of the 2/5. For heroism in combat in Korea, he received two awards of the Silver Star and a Bronze Star with Combat "V". He was promoted to major in January 1951

Post Korean War

Jaskilka returned to the States in February 1952 and served as Monitor, Detail Branch, Personnel Department, Headquarters Marine Corps. In July 1954, he was transferred to Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, for duty as Operations Officer, Marine Corps Test Unit #1. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in December 1955.
Upon completion of the Amphibious Warfare School, Senior Course, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, in June 1957, LtCol Jaskilka had a three-year tour of duty as Assistant G-3 Operations and Plans Officer with Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. He returned to Quantico in July 1960 and served as an Instructor at the Senior School.
He reported to the 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force in July 1963, and was assigned duty as Executive Officer, Third Marines, and later, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, SEATO Expeditionary Brigade. Following his return to the United States, he assumed duty as Joint Staff Officer in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and earned the Joint Service Commendation Medal. He was promoted to colonel in July 1964.
In August 1966, he was reassigned to Headquarters Marine Corps where he served consecutively as Deputy Manpower Coordinator for Research and Information Systems, G-1 Division; as Director, Data Systems Division; and as Director, Management Analysis Group. He earned the Legion of Merit for his service during the latter two assignments, and was promoted to brigadier general on October 18, 1968.

Vietnam War

Ordered to the Republic of Vietnam in February 1969, BGen Jaskilka served as Assistant Division Commander, 1st Marine Division, and CG, Task Force Yankee. In August 1969, he was reassigned duty as J-3, Operations, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his Vietnam service.

1970s: Assistant Commandant

General Jaskilka returned to the United States in August 1970, and reported to Quantico, where he served as Director, Command and Staff College, then as Deputy for Development/Director. Development Center, Marine Corps Development and Education Command.
Following his promotion to major general in August 1972, he became Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1, Headquarters Marine Corps. He served in this capacity until his transfer in July 1973, to Camp Lejeune, where he served as Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division. He was promoted to lieutenant general on January 2, 1974 and was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower at Headquarters Marine Corps.
He remained in that position until July 1, 1975 when he was named Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. While serving in that capacity, General Jaskilka was advanced to the grade of general, to rank from March 4, 1976. He retired on June 30, 1978 after thirty-six years of service.

Death

Samuel Jaskilka died on January 15, 2012, at the age of 92 of pneumonia.^[1] His funeral was held on January 26, 2012; he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.^[2]

Awards and decorations

General Jaskilka holds the following personal decorations:

Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star w/ 1 award star	Legion of Merit	Bronze Star w/ valor device	Joint Service Commendation Medal w/ 1 oak leaf cluster
Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 2 service stars	Meritorious Unit Citation	American Defense Service Medal	American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 9 service stars	World War II Victory Medal	National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star	Korean Service Medal w/ 3 service stars
Vietnam Service Medal w/ 6 service stars	National Order of Vietnam, Knight	Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order, 1st Class	Philippine Liberation Medal w/ 1 service star
Korean Presidential Unit Citation	Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation	United Nations Korea Medal	Vietnam Campa

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Ben Hana, New Zealand vagrant, died he was 54.

Bernard "Ben" Hana, a.k.a. "Blanket Man",  was a homeless man who wandered the inner city streets of Wellington, New Zealand died he was 54..^[1] He was a local fixture and something of a celebrity, and was typically found on the footpath in the precincts of Cuba Street and Courtenay Place,.^[1]

^{(8 February 1957 – 15 January 2012)}

Hana was a self-proclaimed devotee of the Māori sun god Tama-nui-te-rā,^[2] and claimed that he should wear as few items of clothing as possible, as an act of religious observance.^{[citation needed]} As a result, he would sometimes remove all his clothing, which resulted in the consequent attendance of police officers.
His name of "Blanket Man" was a reference to his usual mode of dress, which was a single blanket,^[1] long dreadlocks and either a loin cloth or briefs. His activities and presence provoked a degree of public debate within Wellington.^[1]
It's believed Hana chose to live on the streets after killing a friend in a drink-driving accident^[3] as a form of self-penance.^[4]

Early life

In the late 1970s Hana associated with the Black Power gang, living in Wellington, going by the name Bugs^[5] and fathering two children.^[3]

Judicial hearings and convictions

Hana was arrested and imprisoned several times for offences including public nudity^[6] and possession of cannabis.^[7] His criminal record reportedly ran 17 pages long.^[1] In 1979, he was convicted of drunk driving causing death.^[1]
Ben Hana visited the South Island for the first time in 2010, was arrested, charged and flown home after being provided with a shower and new overalls.^[8]
In 2010, a judge ordered that Hana be made a mental health patient to be housed in Wellington Hospital's psychiatric ward 27, where "he will have clean clothes, regular meals, and no access to drink and drugs." In the same year he was released back onto the streets without any notable change in character.^[1] In his later years he was a diagnosed schizophrenic under a community treatment order which allowed forced medical treatment as an outpatient.^[3]

Local celebrity

With his distinctive look and high visibility location, Hana became something of a local celebrity. In general, he was tolerated by some shopkeepers outside whose premises he sat, and by passers-by, although there have been times of opposition from other shopkeepers. Also, on occasions when he decided to push the boundaries of offensive behaviour, police officers were likely to be in attendance. As someone who departed from the patterns of normal behaviour, Hana had become a figure of amusement, sympathy, disgust and even some academic interest. During the 2006 Rugby Sevens tournament, one costumed group appeared in dreads and blankets, mimicking his distinctive look.^[9]

In media

Hana featured in several works:

• 2012 Blanket Man tribute song created by Leon Mitchell, sung by Michael Murphy, recorded and released by ZM radio http://www.zmonline.com/player/ondemand/blanketman-song
• "A Different Way of Life" by Marcelina Mastalerz, an interview with Hana
• Te Whanau o Aotearoa — Caretakers of the Land, a New Zealand documentary film by Errol Wright and Abi King-Jones.^[10]
• In 2007 Victoria University of Wellington sociology lecturer Mike Lloyd and PhD student Bronwyn McGovern delivered a presentation titled "World Famous in Wellington: Blanket Man as contemporary celebrity" to the New Zealand Folklore Symposium^[11]
• "The man behind the blanket" The Dominion Post - Saturday, June 19, 2010 - Tom Hunt.^[12]

Death

Hana, age 54, died in Wellington Hospital at 3:35 p.m. on 15 January 2012^[13] of suspected viral myocarditis.^[3] However, he was suffering medical problems stemming from heavy alcohol use and malnutrition.^[14] A temporary shrine was created outside the ANZ Bank on Courtenay Place, a location where Hana could often be found. Messages were written on the building's facade, and flowers, candles, food and other items were left in tribute.
Among those who paid tribute were Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown and sports athlete Sonny Bill Williams.^[15] His funeral was paid for by philanthropist Gareth Morgan.^[16]




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Carlo Fruttero, Italian writer, died he was 85.

Carlo Fruttero  was an Italian writer, journalist, translator and editor of anthologies died he was 85..

 (19 September 1926 – 15 January 2012)

Fruttero was born in Turin. He is mostly known for his joint work with Franco Lucentini, especially as authors of crime novels. The duo was also editor of the science fiction series Urania from the 1960s to the 1980s, and of the comics magazine Il Mago.
Fruttero died, aged 85, in Castiglione della Pescaia.^[1]

Bibliography

Alone

• Volti a perdere (1999)
• Visibilità zero (1999; bylined as "Fruttero & Fruttero" - playing on the usual "Fruttero & Lucentini" - tells with more humour than satire the story of the imaginary member of parliament Aldo Slucca)
• Donne informate sui fatti (2006)
• Ti trovo un po' pallida (2007; see below, under the joint works with Lucentini)
• Mutandine di chiffon (2010; autobiographical writings)
• with Massimo Gramellini: La Patria, bene o male, Mondadori, Milano 2010, ISBN 978-88-04-60329-0.

With Franco Lucentini

• Il secondo libro della fantascienza (1961; the first of several successful anthologies of science fiction short stories edited by F&L; literally, "The second science fiction book")
• L'idraulico non verrà (1971; poetry collection; lit., "The plumber will not come")
• La donna della domenica, (1972, translated into English by William Weaver as The Sunday Woman in 1973; the first and most famous novel by F&L, and one of the first examples of Italian crime novels)
• L'Italia sotto il tallone di F&L (1974; a humorous political fantasy in which Fruttero & Lucentini become dictators of Italy with the help of Muammar al-Gaddafi; the novel was inspired by the actual harsh reaction of the embassy of Libya to a satirical article by F&L in La Stampa, very critical of Gaddafi; lit., "Italy under F[ruttero] & L[ucentini]'s heel")
• Il significato dell'esistenza (1974; lit., "The meaning of existence")
• A che punto è la notte (1979; crime novel; lit., "What of the night", as in the Bible book of Isaiah, 22:11)
• La cosa in sé (1982; play "in two acts and a licence" about a man who realises that solipsism is real and all the universe is created by his mind; lit., "The thing in itself", as in the philosophical term)
• Il Palio delle contrade morte (1983, lit., "The Palio of the dead quarters")
• Ti trovo un po' pallida (1983; a ghost story set in sunny Tuscany, originally appeared in the L'Espresso magazine in 1979; it was actually written by Fruttero alone, as explained in the afterword to 2007 volume edition; lit., "You look quite pale")
• La prevalenza del cretino (1985; a collection of "L'Agenda di F. & L." columns form the newspaper La Stampa, about all forms of stupidity; lit., "The supremacy of the stupid")
• Il colore del destino (1987; collection of three novellas: Notizie dagli scavi (by Lucentini) and Ti trovo un po' pallida (by Fruttero), already published, and Il colore del destino (written jointly); it is the only book by the two authors having the byline "Lucentini & Fruttero" rather than "Fruttero & Lucentini"; lit., "The colour of destiny")
• La verità sul caso D (1989, translated into English by Gregory Dowling as The D. Case: Or The Truth About The Mystery Of Edwin Drood; a completion and elaboration on Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood; lit., "The truth on the D case")
• L'amante senza fissa dimora (1990; a novel about a successful Italian woman meeting a mysterious man in romantic Venice: an apparently standard love story with a twist; lit., "The lover of no fixed abode")
• Storie americane di guerra (1991, editor; anthology of "American war stories")
• Enigma in luogo di mare (1991; crime novel set in a seaside community in Tuscany; lit., "Riddle in a sea town")
• Il ritorno del cretino (1992; more columns from "La Stampa"; lit., "The comeback of the stupid")
• Breve storia delle vacanze (1994; lit., "Short history of vacations")
• La morte di Cicerone (1995; lit., "Cicero's death")
• Il nuovo libro dei nomi di battesimo (1998; a non-fiction handbook about how to choose a name for a son, with amusing information and trivia on names' meaning and use)
• Il cretino in sintesi (2002; still more columns from "La Stampa"; lit., "The stupid in synthesis")
• Viaggio di nozze al Louvre (2002; lit., "Honeymoon at Louvre")
• I nottambuli (2002; lit., "The nightwalkers")
• I ferri del mestiere (2003; a collection of articles and short stories edited by Domenico Scarpa; lit., "The tools of the trade")

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Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish politician, President of the Xunta of Galicia (1990–2005), founder of the People's Party, died from heart failure he was 89.

Manuel Fraga Iribarne  was a Spanish People's Party politician. Fraga's career as one of the key political figures in Spain straddles both General Francisco Franco's dictatorial regime and the subsequent transition to representative democracy died from heart failure he was 89.. He served as the President of the Xunta of Galicia from 1990 to 2005 and as a Senator until November 2011. He was one of the few Honoris Causa Doctors of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon.^[1]

^{(Spanish pronunciation: [maˈnwel ˈfɾaɣa iɾiˈβarne]; 23 November 1922 – 15 January 2012)}

Biography

Earl life

Fraga was born in Vilalba, Lugo Province, Galicia. Trained in law, economics and political science, he began his political career in 1945, during Francisco Franco's dictatorship.

Political career

Between 1962 and 1969 he served as Minister for Information and Tourism, and played a major role in the revitalization of Spanish tourist industry, leading a campaign under the slogan Spain is different!. On 8 March 1966, he attempted to dispel fears of a nuclear accident after the Palomares hydrogen bombs incident by swimming in the contaminated water with the American ambassador, Angier Biddle Duke.^[2]
Fraga established himself as one of the more prominent members of a reformist faction in the government who favoured opening up the regime from above. He introduced an a posteriori censorship law, which was based on lifting pre-publication censorship and a reduction in its strictness. Additionally, a certain sexual liberality in films was popularly summarized in the expression Con Fraga hasta la braga^[3][4] ("With Fraga [you can see] even the panties").

The First Government of the Monarchy

After a brief period as Spain's ambassador in the United Kingdom, which ended with Franco's death in 1975, Manuel Fraga was appointed vice president (deputy prime minister) and interior Minister (Ministro de Gobernación) on 12 December 1975,^[5] under Carlos Arias Navarro's government, the first with Juan Carlos I as chief of state. Until that moment, Fraga was known as a heavy-handed politician, though also seen as one of the reformers seeking a liberalisation from within the regime, but the drastic measures he took as chief of state security during the first days of the Spanish transition to democracy deeply damaged his popularity. The phrase "¡La calle es mía!" ("The streets are mine!") was attributed to him.^[6] This phrase was his answer to complaints of police repression of street protests. He claimed that the streets did not belong to "people" but to the State. He was a known admirer of Cánovas del Castillo. During a clash at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi between police and striking workers, on Fraga's orders the police stormed on a shooting spree into a packed church into which demonstrators had retreated, resulting in five dead and over 100 wounded, from 4000 people into the church. Manuel Fraga's term as interior minister lasted short and ended on 5 July 1986.^[5]

Alianza Popular

Fraga was one of the writers of the new Spanish constitution approved in 1978. Along with other former reformist members of Franco's regime, he soon founded the People's Alliance (Alianza Popular - AP), and became its president. The party fared poorly in its first years, but after the 1982 crisis and breakup of the UCD, the moderate-conservative party which had won the first two democratic elections, AP became the second party in Spain, and Fraga was considered Leader of the Opposition to the Socialist government. Nevertheless, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party was enjoying great popularity and an absolute majority winning streak (in the 1982, 1986, and 1989 elections), as AP and its president were generally viewed as too reactionary to be an alternative. Following this critical development, Fraga resigned the presidency of the party in 1986.

Partido Popular

Fraga came back in charge in 1989, determined to stop AP's crisis. With the addition of several lesser Christian democratic parties and the remnants of the Democratic Center Union, he refounded the People's Alliance as the People's Party (Partido Popular - PP). Later in the same year, Fraga encouraged the election of José María Aznar as the party's new president. Fraga was then appointed as honorary president of the PP.

Presidency of the Xunta of Galicia

Manuel Fraga returned to his Galician homeland in 1989, winning that year's presidential election as head of the People's Party in Galicia (PPdeG) which had won a one seat majority in the election.^[7] He remained in charge for almost 15 years until the PPdeG lost its overall majority in the Galician election of 2005.
Fraga saw his credibility damaged in late 2002, when the oil tanker ship Prestige sank off the Galician coast causing a massive oil spill that affected the shoreline in the northwest of the region. Fraga was said to have been slow to react and unable, or even unwilling, to handle the situation. In 2004, a power struggle between factions of PPdeG further hurt the party's image. Subsequently, in the autonomous elections of 2005, Fraga and the PPdeG lost their absolute majority in the Parliament of Galicia, and despite obtaining elections with a 45% plurality, a left government coalition between the Socialist Party of Galicia (PSdeG) and the Galician Nationalist Bloc was formed with socialist Emilio Pérez Touriño as the new president. Fraga remained on the political scene out of Galicia, as member of the Senate representing the Parliament of Galicia. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a member of the Galician Popular Party, has been the PPdG head since late 2005.
Fraga was again designated as a Senator by the Galicia Parliament in 2008.

Overview

Fraga was one of the writers of the democratic constitution and spent part of his political career lessening the censorship law during dictatorship. However he had openly admitted admiration for General Franco and the regime in public, on several different occasions. He was renowned for his temper tantrums in public at not being referred to or addressed as Don Manuel. He most famously shouted during a television interview, completely unaware the camera was filming and the show was being broadcast live on air. Manuel Fraga Iribarne was probably one of the most important and yet controversial politicians in modern Spain.
To his supporters, Fraga was a Galician hero who throughout his rule, modernised Galicia and built up a fair level of tourism to the region. He built great roads and motorways and in 2000, he approved the Galician Plan to build Spain's first high speed bullet train. However to his opponents he was an authoritarian relic of the Franco era who failed to lift Galicia and its people out of poverty and unemployment.
Despite their political differences, he maintained a friendship with Fidel Castro, himself of Galician descent, who visited him in Galicia in 1992.
Fraga died on 15 January 2012 of a respiratory disease.^[8] His funeral was attended by Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.^[9]




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