Rene Preval | Ex-president of Haiti, 74

Rene Preval, 74, a former Haitian president, died Friday, his wife, Elisabeth Delatour Preval, confirmed.

Mr. Preval, who was president during Haiti's tragic Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, died at home in Port-au-Prince. His wife, who was traveling and wasn't with him, said she had spoken to him "three times" Friday morning. "He was in excellent humor," said Delatour Preval. "He asked, 'When are you coming home?' I refused to believe it. I cannot believe it."

Mr. Preval was president from 1996 to 2001, and again from 2006-2011. He is the only president in Haitian history to have served two full presidential terms and not be jailed, exiled, or killed.

Jerry Tardieu, a member of the Lower House of Deputies, was also surprised by the news. He had spent two hours with the former president at his home Friday morning. Mr. Preval had wanted to meet with him to discuss a law to protect national production.

An agronomist by training, Mr. Preval devoted his years out of the presidency to turning bamboo into furniture to create jobs and to boost the national production of agricultural products. A savvy politician, he continued to be sought out by foreign diplomats as Haiti reeled from one political crisis to another in recent years.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Preval is survived by three children and two grandchildren. - Miami Herald