New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Cook Islands died on Sunday, shortly after being flown to Auckland on a medical evacuation flight.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said Te Rongotoa (Tia) Barrett died in Middlemore Hospital Sunday morning after a "short illness".
The 62-year-old was flown to New Zealand last week.
Details of his tangi will be announced in coming days.
McCully offered his condolences to Barrett's wife, Theresa, and two children, Nick and Caroline.
"Tia was a respected diplomat, particularly in the Pacific where he served a number of postings," McCully said.
Barrett joined the Foreign Ministry in 1973.
He was High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Fiji and had been posted in Tonga, New Caledonia and France.
He held other positions within the ministry and was a strong advocate for a Maori perspective, McCully said.
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said Barrett was a "distingushed ambassador for our nation" and his death was a shock.
Having met Barrett in Rarotonga it was "immediately obvious that he was greatly loved by the people (there)".
"Tia was quite simply a beautiful man - loving, respectful and thoroughly good fun."
