Antonin Scalia, the longest-serving justice on the Supreme Court, was found dead Saturday at a luxury resort in West Texas, officials said.

The body of the 79-year-old leader of the court’s conservative bloc was discovered in his room at the Cibolo Creek Ranch after he failed to show up for breakfast, the San Antonio Express News reported.

Scalia died apparently of natural causes. He had arrived at the ranch on Friday and attended a private party along with about 40 people.

Greg Abbott, the governor of Scalia’s home state, Texas, called the judge “a man of God, a patriot and an unwavering defender of the written Constitution of the rule of law. He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution.’’

Presidential hopefuls, and former hopefuls, also had high praise for Scalia.

Donald Trump tweeted Scalia’s death “is a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our COUNTRY.’’

Ted Cruz called him an “America hero.’’

Rand Paul praised him as a “defender of the constitution.’’

Former US Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison, described Scalia as “one of the smartest, funniest justices ever on the US Supreme Court.’’

Scalia was known for defending states’ rights.

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In one dissenting opinion, he wrote there is no constitutional right to abortion, adding “the states may, if they wish, permit abortion on demand, but the Constitution does not require them to do so.’’ He repeatedly called on his fellow justices to strike down Roe v. Wade.

He also believed the death penalty is constitutional.

Scalia, appointed to the high court by former President Ronald Reagan 1986, was born in Trenton, NJ, and grew up in New York City, where he attended a public elementary school in Queens.

After graduating, he was awarded a scholarship to Jesuit Xavier HS in Manhattan. He was first in his class.

The future justice graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University with a BA in history. Then he went to Harvard Law School, where he served on the Law Review.

After working at a Cleveland law firm, Scalia was appointed as a law professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

He served in various government agencies and on lower courts before his Supreme Court appointment. Chief Justice John Roberts described Scalia as “an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues.’’