Veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke, special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has died. He was 69. He was undergoing a second surgery to repair a torn aorta, having been in critical condition since he entered the hospital.

You’ll hear plenty of stories and notes about Holbrooke’s history over the next few days. Some will praise him, some will tear him apart. But he was a man with a family. And that’s what counts above all else.

Our condolences to the family and friends of Richard Holbrooke. May he rest in peace.