Vaclav Havel, the leader of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia during the late 1980’s has died at the age of 75.

Havel is credited not only with inspiring the revolt which led to the collapse of Communism in his own country but also with helping to start the dominos falling all across Eastern Europe.

He was for decades a leader of the underground opposition in the one party state, risking prison or death at the hands of the dictatorship.

I remember the amazing events of 1989 and how quickly it seemed that the Warsaw Pact collapsed. I also had the pleasure of briefly meeting Mr. Havel during a visit to Sacramento and he did have that quiet dignity seen in that kind of leader.

May he rest in peace.