* Phil Berle; Brother of Comedian

Phil Berle, 97, manager of such stars as Rudy Vallee and older brother of comedian Milton Berle. Born Phil Berlinger in New York, he was the oldest of five children. The whole family shortened its name to Berle when Milton at age 5 auditioned for a part in a Charlie Chaplin movie and set his course toward a show business career. Phil worked as a business agent booking vaudeville acts in the 1920s before going on to manage the crooner Vallee and help launch a comedy trio known as the Three Stooges. He also produced television programs and worked as a motion picture extra. Milton Berle, television’s “Uncle Miltie,” now 90, recently suffered a minor stroke but is expected to attend a Jan. 12 tribute for Phil Berle at the Friars Club in Beverly Hills. On Saturday in Tampa, Fla.

R. Brendan Hanlon; Movie Actor, Accountant

R. Brendan Hanlon, 62, actor and accountant who had small roles in such films as “Good Will Hunting” and “A Civil Action.” Hanlon also acted in “Dirty Laundry,” “Meet Joe Black” and “The Spanish Prisoner” and performed in several plays on Boston area stages. He founded and operated the Fine Performance Series at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Duxbury, Mass. In his other career, Hanlon maintained an accounting practice as a tax return preparer, specializing in clients in entertainment. On Saturday in Marshfield, Mass., of cardiac arrest.

Sebastian Haffner; German-Born Journalist

Sebastian Haffner, 91, author known for his 1967 biography of Winston Churchill and 1978 bestseller “Comments to Hitler.” Born Raimund Pretzel in Germany, he began writing for Berlin newspapers and then moved to London with his wife, who was Jewish, during the Nazi era. Haffner adopted his pseudonym while writing for London newspapers in order to shield German relatives from retaliation by Hitler. Haffner returned to Germany in 1954 as correspondent for the London Observer and contributed to German publications including Die Welt and Stern. In addition, he wrote such books as “Germany: Jekyll and Hyde” and “From Bismarck to Hitler.” On Saturday in Berlin.

Yaeko Nakamura; ‘Mother Teresa’ of Japan

Yaeko Nakamura, 93, often called Japan’s “Mother Teresa” for her work with orphans. Nakamura, along with her husband, Haruka, began caring for the children of fisherman and other waterfront workers near Osaka in 1931. After their headquarters was destroyed during U.S. bombing raids in World War II, the couple moved to a northeastern suburb of Osaka and established several new facilities for war orphans, the homeless and children whose parents had been killed in traffic accidents. About 3,000 children have received care from Nakamura-organized homes. The Japanese government awarded Yaeko Nakamura the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1969 for her contributions to society. On Saturday in Tokyo.