Justice Antonin Scalia, a colorful and by far the most influential member of the Supreme Court's conservative wing, died on Saturday at a ranch in West Texas. He was 79.

Local officials initially claimed that the cause of death was a heart attack but later stated that the official cause will not be determined for several days. A staunch Catholic, Scalia received last rites from a local priest , according to The New York Times.

Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement that Scalia's death is a "great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served."

"On behalf of the Court and retired Justices, I am saddened to report that our colleague Justice Antonin Scalia has passed away. He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by colleagues," he said.

President Barack Obama remembered Scalia as "larger than life" and "one of the most consequential judges and thinkers to serve on the Supreme Court."

Obama also said he plans to fill his now-vacant seat.

"I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibility to nominate a successor in due time," he said, adding that he expects the Senate to confirm him in due course. He also expressed condolences to Scalia's wife, Maureen, and surviving family.

The looming nomination and future of the Supreme Court has already raised the stakes of the 2016 presidential election -- with leading conservatives in Congress saying that the task should be left up to the next president .

But Scalia's sudden death also leaves in flux a slate of high-stakes cases the court has already heard or is about to hear -- including contentious battles over immigration, affirmative action, abortion and the future of public-sector unions .

Without Scalia's voice or vote, these deeply politicized cases -- expected to be decided along ideological lines -- are at risk of resulting in 4-4 ties. That means the decision will leave whatever prior court ruling as the final word and will not create any legal precedent.