John 11:25-26. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.
MANOLO Francisco “Noli” Briones Jara, eldest of three children of the late public educators Leocadio Somera Jara and Filomena Tadena Briones, died today at his Antipolo City residence. He was 86.
A cancer survivor who suffered a stroke two years ago, the Lupao, Nueva Ecija-born Jara (Dec. 3, 1938) is the grandson of the late Don Juan Briones, among the founders of Lupao town, known for its rice production and culinary traditions.
An alumnus of the Ateneo de Manila University (BS Journalism, Batch 1959), Jara had post graduate studies as scholar at the Berlin Institute of Journalism and East-West Center.
He also attended a six-month workshop and training in Montana, again as a scholar.
He is survived by his wife, Susan (nee Arellano Blanco) of Currimao, Ilocos Norte, children Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Julie Ann Gonzales-Jara, Ramon and Ria Itchon -Jara and Susan Patricia Jara.
He left behind nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jara is the cousin-in-law of Honor Blanco Cabie, Opinion Editor of Manila Standard.
Jara spent 63 years in the media industry, starting off as a rookie police reporter of the Evening News before becoming its managing editor, the youngest at that time, before Martial Law.
He was invited to join the Philippine Press Institute by his compadre, Johnny Mercado, and the PPI gave way to the Press Foundation of Asia where he was the executive editor during the Martial Law years while doing sideline tasks at the Manila Chronicle, Manila Times and TTG-Asia.
He eventually became the editor-in-chief of the broadsheet Times Journal in the 1990s.
He is the elder brother of the late San Beda University-College of Law Dean Virgilio Briones Jara who died on June 24, 2023. They left behind their youngest, Leocadio “Jun” Briones Jara Jr.
In life, Jara read voraciously and loved different kinds of music from the classical to the pop.
Off his favorite books and his editor’s desk Jara, who spoke fluent Ilokano, was a basketball player and joined the inter-newspaper basketball tournaments pre-Martial Law years.
It was from him that his wife Susan and their children have been oriented to sports, athletics, music and the arts.