Ed Derwinski, American politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois (1959–1983); United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (1989–1992), died from merkel cell carcinoma he was 85.

Edward Joseph "Ed" Derwinski was an American politician who served as the first Cabinet-level United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving under President George H. W. Bush from March 15, 1989 to September 26, 1992 died from merkel cell carcinoma he was 85.. He previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1959 to 1983, representing south and southwest suburbs of Chicago.

(September 15, 1926 – January 15, 2012)

Member of the House of Representatives

Derwinski served in the United States Army in the Pacific Theater during World War II and in the postwar U.S. occupation of Japan. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1951. He was a celebrated member of Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity. In 1957 he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served one term before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1958. He served 12 terms as a Republican representative from the 4th District of Illinois, a suburban region south and west of Chicago, eventually becoming ranking member of the House Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly 1971-1972 and as chairman of the U.S. delegation to the Interparliamentary Union from 1970–1972 and 1978-1980.

First Cabinet-level Secretary of Veterans Affairs

A Democratic redistricting plan after the 1980 Census carved up the 4th District, with only about 15% of its territory being retained and added to various territory from other districts; Derwinski and fellow Republican congressman George M. O'Brien were placed in the same district, and O'Brien won the 1982 primary on the strength of having more of his previous district included in the new configuration. After Derwinski's loss, President Ronald Reagan appointed him Counselor to the State Department. In 1987, Reagan appointed him Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology, where he served until the end of Reagan's term, shortly after which he was selected to head the V.A.^{[citation needed]}

Advocacy

A Polish American, Derwinski was noted for his efforts on behalf of Eastern Europe throughout his career. Notably, he aided in the rehabilitation of the Serbian Royalist general Draža Mihailović. Mihailović had received the Legion of Merit for his resistance efforts against the Axis—but this information was marked "secret" at the behest of the State Department so as not to harm relations with Marshal Tito, the current ruler of Yugoslavia in 1967. Tito was Mihailović's rival in World War II, and after Tito's forces emerged triumphant, Mihailović was accused of collaboration with the Nazis and executed. At the urging of airmen involved in Operation Halyard who had been saved by Mihailović's forces and had heard rumors of the award to him, Derwinski insisted that the State Department make the text of President Truman's citation public, confirming that Mihailović had not collaborated.^[1] Derwinski served as head of "Ethnic Americans for Dole/Kemp" during the 1996 presidential election.

Post-politics

Derwinski resided in Glen Ellyn, Illinois with his wife, the former Bonita Hickey. He had two adult children, Maureen and Michael, from his first marriage to Patricia Derwinski.
On January 15, 2012, Derwinski died at a nursing home from Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. He was 85 years old.^[2]
On learning of his death, former United States Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) described Derwinski as "a giant in Illinois politics ... [H]e had incredible connections in all the different ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago, he was really loved by everybody on both sides".
"Mr. Derwinski's outgoing personality and experience in Chicago politics and business served him well during his decades in Washington", said Senator Mark Kirk, who first met Derwinski in the 1980s. "He was utterly personable, made you feel like part of the team ... He was somebody that was well-grounded in his principles and his patriotism but brought a gritty Chicagoland get-it-done feel to his work", Kirk said.^[3]



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Richard Bader, Canadian quantum chemist, died he was 80.

Richard F. W. Bader  was a Canadian quantum chemist, noted for his work on the Atoms in molecules theory  died he was 80.. This theory attempts to establish a physical basis for many of the working concepts of chemistry, such as atoms in molecules and bonding, in terms of the topology of the electron density function in three-dimensional space.^[1]

^{(October 15, 1931 – January 15, 2012)}

He was born in 1931 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He obtained a BSc (1953) and a MSc (1955) from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and a PhD (1958) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He did postdoctoral work at MIT and the University of Cambridge. He was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ottawa in 1959 and promoted to Associate Professor in 1962. He moved to McMaster University as Associate Professor in 1963, became full Professor in 1966 and had been Emeritus Professor since 1996.^[2] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1980.^[3][1]
Professor Bader was elected a Grand Fellow of the MIRCE Akademy, Exeter, UK, in 2010.^[4]
His work on atoms in molecules is the subject of his book, Atoms in Molecules: A Quantum Theory.^[5][1]
He died on January 15, 2012.^[1]



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Mika Ahola, Finnish enduro rider, died he was in a motorcycle crash he was 37.

Mika Ahola  was a Finnish enduro rider and a five-time world champion died he was in a motorcycle crash he was 37.. He was also a seven-time winner of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) World Trophy with Team Finland, and was the fastest overall in the competition in 1999, 2001 and 2002.

(13 December 1974 – 15 January 2012)

Ahola debuted in the World Enduro Championship in a Husqvarna in 1993, and became a regular title contender after joining the TM factory team in 1997. In 2001, he finished runner-up for the third time, after losing the final round in Sweden and the 500 cc world title to Anders Eriksson by 0.06 seconds and a single point, respectively.^[1] Ahola took three more wins than Eriksson, but a mechanical problem in the second round in Slovakia proved costly for his title chase. After another second placing in 2002 and a third in 2003, he briefly moved to Husqvarna until signing for Honda for the 2006 season, which saw him finish second to KTM's Samuli Aro in the E2 class.
In 2007, Ahola took seven wins and finished on the podium in all but one event, beating compatriot Aro and Yamaha's Johnny Aubert to finally win the world championship. For the 2008 season, he moved to the E1 class and took his second world title ahead of KTM's Iván Cervantes.^[2] Ahola went on to win a fourth consecutive title in 2010.^[3] In 2011, he moved to the E3 class and became the first rider to win the world championship in all the three current categories.^[4]
Mika Ahola announced his retirement from enduro racing on New Year's Day 2012.^[5] Ahola died of internal injuries on 15 January 2012 at a hospital in Barcelona,^[6] a few weeks after crashing while training in Girona, Spain.^[7][8]

Career summary

Season	Series	Class	Team	Wins	Final placing
1993	World Enduro Championship	125 cc	Husqvarna	0	10th
1994	World Enduro Championship	125 cc	Husqvarna	0	13th
1995	World Enduro Championship	125 cc	Husqvarna	0	15th
1996	World Enduro Championship	125 cc	Husqvarna	0	9th
1997	World Enduro Championship	125 cc	TM	5	2nd
1998	World Enduro Championship	250 cc	TM	3	9th
1999	World Enduro Championship	250 cc	TM	1	3rd
2000	World Enduro Championship	250 cc	TM	3	2nd
2001	World Enduro Championship	500 cc	VOR	5	2nd
2002	World Enduro Championship	500 cc	VOR	6	2nd
2003	World Enduro Championship	500 cc	VOR	2	3rd
2004	World Enduro Championship	E3	Husqvarna	0	4th
2005	World Enduro Championship	E3	Husqvarna	0	4th
2006	World Enduro Championship	E2	Honda	2	2nd
2007	World Enduro Championship	E2	Honda	7	1st
2008	World Enduro Championship	E1	Honda	9	1st
2009	World Enduro Championship	E1	Honda	9	1st
2010	World Enduro Championship	E2	Honda	10	1st
2011	World Enduro Championship	E3	Honda	9	1st

ISDE

Season	Location	Class	Team	Final placing
1993	Assen, Netherlands	World Trophy	Finland	10th
1994	Tulsa, United States	World Trophy	Finland	5th
1995	Jelenia Góra, Poland	World Trophy	Finland	3rd
1996	Hämeenlinna, Finland	World Trophy	Finland	1st
1997	Brescia, Italy	World Trophy	Finland	2nd
1998	Traralgon, Australia	World Trophy	Finland	1st
1999	Coimbra, Portugal	World Trophy	Finland	1st
2000	Granada, Spain	World Trophy	Finland	18th
2001	Brive-la-Gaillarde, France	World Trophy	Finland	16th
2002	Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic	World Trophy	Finland	1st
2003	Fortaleza, Brazil	World Trophy	Finland	1st
2004	Kielce, Poland	World Trophy	Finland	1st
2005	Považská Bystrica, Slovakia	World Trophy	Finland	2nd
2006	Taupo, New Zealand	World Trophy	Finland	1st

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Rosy Varte, French actress, died she was 88.

Rosy Varte^[1] was a Turkish-born French actress of Armenian descent died she was 88.. She appeared in 95 film and television shows since 1949. She starred in the 1972 film The Bar at the Crossing, which was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival.^[2] She was a voice actress in the car­toon West­ern movies, Daisy Town (1971, as Lulu Cara­bine) and La Bal­lade des Dalton (1978, as Miss Worthlesspenny).^[3]
Born Nevarte Manouelian in Istanbul, Turkey, she emigrated to France at an early age. She appeared in come­dies. From 1985-93, she had the title role (Maguy Boissier) in 333 episodes of the hit TV series Maguy, co-starring with Jean-Marc Thibault on Antenne 2. In 2007, she won the 7 d'Or award for Best Actress for playing Maguy Boissier.

(22 November 1923 – 14 January 2012)

Death

She died 14 January 2012 at the Amer­i­can Hos­pi­tal in Neuilly-sur-Seine, aged 88, following a battle with bron­chi­tis, which degen­er­ated into a lung infec­tion, said her hus­band, direc­tor Pierre Badel.^[3]

Selected filmography

• Manon (1949)
• Three Women (1952)
• Fortunat (1960)
• Le Tracassin or Les Plaisirs de la ville (1961)
• La Vendetta (1960)
• Antoine and Colette (1962)
• Love at Twenty (1962)
• Thomas the Impostor (1964)
• Male Companion (1964)
• Angélique, Marquise des Anges (1964)
• Merveilleuse Angélique (1965)
• The Bar at the Crossing (1972)
• Peur sur la ville (1975)
• Waiter! (1983)
• Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (1985)

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Irena Jarocka, Polish singer, died she was 65.

Irena Jarocka, was a Polish singer  died she was 65..

(18 August 1946 – 21 January 2012)

Career

Education

Jarocka was born in Srebrna Góra, Poland. She graduated from the V Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Stefana Żeromskiego, and the faculty of music studies at Średnia Szkoła Muzyczna in Gdańsk, studying under professor Halina Mickiewiczówna. She later graduated from a Faculty of Biology at a teachers’ college.^{[clarification needed]} Between 1969 and 1973 she lived in Paris on a scholarship, studying at Le Petit Conservatoire de la Chanson.^{[citation needed]}. She died after losing her battle with brain cancer on the 21st of January 2012 in Warsaw.

Performance

Jarocka participated in amateur singing competitions, and worked with Zespół Estradowy Marynarki Wojennej Flotylla. In 1966, at 20 years old, she debuted at Klub Rudy Kot in Gdańsk, and first participated in the Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej in Opole. She also performed at the Sopot Festival.^{[citation needed]}
She recorded albums for the Philips label and performed in concerts with Michel Sardou, Enrico Macias, Charles Aznavour, and Mireille Mathieu. She has sung in concerts within Poland and in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, Australia and France, and for Polish communities in the USA and Canada. Jarocka has worked with Polanie, Czerwone Gitary, Budka Suflera, and Exodus.^{[citation needed]}
In 1990 she Emigrated to the United States of America.

Film and TV

Jarocka acted with Andrzej Kopiczyński in the film adaptation of Motylem jestem, czyli romans 40-latka ("I am a butterfly, or a 40-year-old’s romance"), the adventures of engineer Stefan Karwowski, scripted and directed by Jerzy Gruza and Krzysztof Teodor Toeplitz. In the film she sang her own songs Motylem jestem ("I am a butterfly") and Po prostu człowiek ("Simply a human").^{[citation needed]}
Her performances and programs were recorded for Telewizja Polska stations in Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznań, Wrocław, Katowice, and Warsaw, including Irena Jarocka zaprasza ("Irena Jarocka Invites You"), Irena Jarocka i jej goście ("Irena Jarocka and Guests"), Spotkanie z gwiazdą ("A Meeting with a Star") which starred Michael Delpech, Mężczyzna na niepogodę ("Man for Bad Weather") with Roman Frankl, Największe przeboje Ireny Jarockiej ("Biggest Hits of Irena Jarocka"), Zwariowany dzień ("A Crazy Day"), and Bo wszystko jest piosenką francuską ("Because Everything is a French Song"). She also took part in Muzyka łączy pokolenia ("Music Connects Generations") on TVP3.^{[citation needed]}.
In 2006, in the USA, she took part in the Amerykańskie Rozmowy w toku ("American Conversations") with Ewa Drzyzga. The show dealt with famous Poles trying to make a living abroad.^{[citation needed]}

Campaigns

Jarocka joined the Echo International campaign, which resulted in two conferences in Gdynia promoting the health of women.^{[citation needed]}

Later life

In 2007 Jarocka published an autobiographical novel, Motylem jestem, czyli piosenka o mnie samej^[1] She died, aged 65, in Warsaw.^[2]

Awards

• 1968: First place – Telewizyjna Giełda Piosenki with song "Gondolierzy znad Wisły" (Gondoliers from Vistula)
• 1971: Silver Gronostaj Award – Festival in Rennes, for music interpretation
• 1973: Silver Ring award – FPŻ in Kołobrzeg, with song "Ballada o żołnierzu, któremu udało się powrócić" (Ballad of a soldier, who manager to return)
• 1974: Audience Award - International Song Festival in Sopot
• 1975: Silver Nail of 1974 – Number 1 popularity award by readers of the "Kurier Polski (dziennik popołudniowy)"
• 1975: Second place – Coupe d’Europe Musicale in Villach, Austria
• 1976: Silver Nail of 1975 – Number 1 popularity award by readers of the "Kurier Polski (dziennik popołudniowy)"
• 1976: Special mention – Festival in Tokyo, Japan, for song "Odpływają kawiarenki" (Cafes are floating away)
• 1977: Silver Nail of 1976 – Number 1 popularity award by readers of the "Kurier Polski (dziennik popołudniowy)"
• 1978: Special mention – Festival in Palma de Mallorca, for song "Wymyśliłam cię" (I made you up)
• 1978: Second place – Festival in Drezno, Germany, for song "Mój słodki Charlie" (My sweet Charlie)
• 1978: Special mention – Festival in Limassol, Cyprus
• 1979: Silver Nail of 1978 – Number 1 popularity award by readers of the "Kurier Polski (dziennik popołudniowy)"

Discography

Albums

• 1974 – W cieniu dobrego drzewa, re-edition 2001
• 1976 – Gondolierzy znad Wisły, re-edition 2001
• 1977 – Wigilijne życzenie, re-edition 2001
• 1977 – Koncert
• 1978 – Być narzeczoną twą, re-edition 2001
• 1981 – Irena Jarocka
• 1987 – Irena Jarocka II
• 1992 – My French favorites
• 2001 – Mój wielki sen
• 2004 – Kolędy bez granic
• 2008 – Małe rzeczy
• 2010 - Ponieważ znów są Święta
• 2012 - Piosenki francuskie

Singles

• 1969 – Il faut y croire/Tu me reviendras
• 1970 – Tant que la barque va/Et ce sera moi
• 1974 – Śpiewam pod gołym niebem/Wymyśliłam Cię/Nie wrócą te lata/W cieniu dobrego drzewa
• 1975 – Junge Liebe/Warum weint der Wind
• 1975 – Kocha się raz/Zawsze pójdę z tobą
• 1976 – Sag ihm, das ich ihn liebe/Auf dem Bahnsteig Nr 8
• 1976 – Odpływają kawiarenki/Przeczucie
• 1976 – Sto lat czekam na twój list/By coś zostało z tych dni
• 1977 – Morgenrot/Unser Zelt aus Stroh
• 1978 – Garść piasku/Chyba się warto o mnie bić
• 1978 – Niech tańczą nasze serca/Mój słodki Charlie
• 1978 – Nie wiadomo, który dzień/Wszystko dam
• 1978 – Być narzeczoną twą/Przeoczone, zawinione
• 1978 – Nadzieja/Był ktoś
• 1979 – Piosenka spod welonu/Mon Harley Davidson/Plaisir d'amour/Aranjuez mon amour
• 1980 – To za mało/Nie odchodź jeszcze
• 1981 – Tańczy niedziela/Gimmie some lovin
• 1981 – Mam temat na życie/Bliski sercu dzień
• 2001 – Magia księżyca/Dance remix Motylem jestem, Kawiarenki, Nie wrócą te lata
• 2002 – Na krakowską nutę

Compilation albums

• 1995 – Wielkie przeboje
• 1995 – Kolekcja vol.1
• 1995 – Kolekcja vol.2
• 1998 – Odpływają kawiarenki – Złota kolekcja
• 2002 – Złote przeboje – Platynowa kolekcja
• 2003 – Motylem jestem
• 2006 – Moje złote przeboje – Platynowa kolekcja
• 2006 – Piosenki o miłości – Platynowa kolekcja
• 2010 – Największe przeboje część 1
• 2010 – Największe przeboje część 2
• 2011 – 40 piosenek Ireny Jarockiej

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Txillardegi, Basque writer and politician, died he was 82.

José Luis Álvarez Enparantzabetter known by his pseudonym Txillardegi, was a Basque linguist, politician and writer died he was 82.. Born in San Sebastián (Spain), he did not learn the Basque language until the age of 17, but came to be considered one of the most influential figures in Basque nationalism and culture in the second half of the 20th century.^[1]

 

^{(27 September 1929 – 14 January 2012)} 

Literary and academic work

Álvarez Enparantza (the maternal surname was sometimes hispanicised as Emparanza) studied engineering in Bilbao, and linguistics in Paris. In 1957, he became a corresponding member of the Euskaltzaindia (Academia de la Lengua Vasca, Academy of the Basque Language), which adopted most of his proposals on the orthography and morphology of Standard Basque. In 1993 he became a member of its Commission on Pronunciation.^[2] His name was put forward twice to become a full member of the Euskaltzaindia but he was turned down for political reasons. When he was going to be proposed for a third time, he himself turned down the proposal.^[3]
He was a major contributor to the standardisation of Basque. His philosophy was based on the following points:

• that if minority languages are to survive, they have to be able to deal with modern science and technology;
• that a standardised language is a key part of modernisation;
• that any subject could be discussed in an understandable way in any language, based on "trying, time, and intelligence";
• and that the main feature, among others, that should identify a person (or the country) as Basque should be knowledge of the Basque language.

He was also a well-known writer and linguist under the pseudonyms Larresoro, Igara and Usako. He has had many books published, mostly to do with the Basque language and its grammar. He has also written novels and political essays. His work Leturiaren egunkari ezkutua (1957) is considered the first modern novel written in Basque and makes a clear dividing line in Basque literature. Other work included the novels Haizeaz bestaldetik (1979) and Putzu (1999); the influential essays Huntaz eta hartaz (1965), Hizkuntza eta pentsakera (1972) and Euskal Herria helburu (1994), and the academic works Euskal fonologia (1980), Euskal azentuaz (1984) and Elebidun gizartearen azterketa matematikoa (1984).
In 1968 he won the Txomin Agirre award for his novel Elsa Scheelen. He also won the Andima award in Caracas in 1969 for books on teaching mathematics. He won the Silver Lauburu for his book Euskal Gramatika in Bilbo in 1980.
In the 1970s Txillardegi co-founded the Euskal Herrian Euskaraz Basque language movement. In 1982 he began lecturing in the University of the Basque Country, of which he later became a professor emeritus.^[2]
The database of the Basque scientific-intellectual community Inguma shows references to 122 products (paper, books, talks etc.) created by Txillardegi.^[4]

Political activity

A member of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in his youth, he promoted the defence and study of the Basque language as the basis of Basque identity.
After becoming disillusioned with the PNV, Txillardegi was one of the founders of ETA in 1959, together with a group of young nationalists and was the visible leader of the cultural branch of the movement. In 1961 he fled into exile, in Paris and Brussels, returning in 1967. In 1976 he and Iñaki Aldekoa formed a political party, the Euskal Sozialista Biltzarrea (ESB: Congreso de Socialistas Vascos, Basque Socialist Congress).^[2]
Txillardegi participated in the foundation in 1977 of Herri Batasuna and was elected senator for the abertzale coalition in the first elections.
Coming to believe that the armed struggle was unviable, for a time he was active in Aralar and then publicly distanced himself from the armed struggle when the party participated in an act of solidarity, organized by the Basque government, with the victims of ETA violence. He ran for municipal elections as part of the coalition Ezker Batua Berdeak (Izquiera Unida - Verdes, United Left - Greens). In the general elections of 2008, he announced his Senate candidacy for the Eusko Abertzale Ekintza party (Acción Nacionalista Vasca, Basque Nationalist Action) for the precinct of Guipúzcoa.[


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Dame Lesley Strathie, British civil servant, Permanent Secretary to HM Revenue and Customs (2008–2011), died from cancer she was 56.

Dame Lesley Ann Strathie, née Cooke, DCB  was a British senior civil servant died from cancer she was 56..

(24 September 1955 – 14 January 2012)

Strathie was born in Stranraer Scotland in 1955. She married David Strathie in 1974 (divorced 1996) and had one son (who predeceased her) and one daughter. She was educated at Stranraer Academy and began her civil service career at the age of 16 in the then Department of Health and Social Security in Scotland, before moving to London in 1984.
She was named Chief Operating Officer of Jobcentre Plus in 2003,^[1] and succeeded David Anderson as Acting Chief Executive on 16 May 2005 before being confirmed on 13 October; this appointment also made her the Second Permanent Secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions.^[2][3]
In November 2008 she was appointed Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary of HM Revenue and Customs, succeeding Dave Hartnett who had worked as Acting Chief Executive and Chairman after the resignation of Paul Gray.^[1]
Under instructions from ministers, she decreased HMRC staff by thousands and closing hundreds of tax offices leading to complaints that this resulted in a worse service to taxpayers and many critical reports by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. On 10 June 2010, Strathie appeared on the BBC One flagship consumer programme Watchdog as a result of complaints against HMRC, mainly about the high level of mistakes.^{[citation needed]}
Strathie stood down as Chief Executive from HMRC on 9 November 2011 to concentrate on her further treatment for cancer.^[4]
She died on 14 January 2012, aged 56.^[1][5]

Honours

On 12 June 2010 she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.^[6]


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