Wednesday, Thierry Gardère, the Director General of the Société du Rhum Barbancourt, he headed since 1990, died suddenly at the age of 65. In Port-au-Prince, after returning from his second home in Jacmel a little before noon, he was suddenly seized with a respiratory discomfort, he was suddenly seized with a respiratory discomfort, rushed to hospital he died on the way, possibly from a pulmonary embolism, according to a nearby source.

The Société du Rhum Barbancourt was founded on March 18, 1862 by Dupré Barbancourt, a native of the Charente in France, who used for his rum the Charentaise method of double distillation used for cognac and aging in Limousin oak barrels.

Dupré Barbancourt leaving no heir to his death, his wife, Nathalie Gardère, managed the company, along with his nephew, Paul Gardère, who succeeded him at the head of the company until his death in 1946. Following the family tradition, his son Jean Gardère took up the torch, until 1990. Entrepreneur and visionary, the latter was the instigator of the modernization of the Société du Rhum Barbancourt. On the death of Jean, his son Thierry Gardère, fourth generation of the family took over the company.

Thierry Gardère was a highly regarded industrialist and a great patron of Haitian culture. Today Haiti has lost a great man, a visionary who has spread Haiti on all continents.

All our condolences to his family, to his close collaborators, to his employees and friends. Sit tibi terra levis.

HL/ HaitiLibre