John Paul Stevens, one of the longest-serving justices ever to sit on the Supreme Court, died Tuesday at 99 after a stroke he had suffered the day before.

While Justice Stevens was appointed by a fellow Republican in 1975, he retired from the court in 2010 as the leader of the court’s liberal wing. On Tuesday, many praised Justice Stevens’s legal prowess and service, contrasting the justice’s nonideological, soft-spoken approach with a court that has become increasingly polarized.

[Read The New York Times’s obituary of John Paul Stevens.]

“A son of the Midwest heartland and a veteran of World War II, Justice Stevens devoted his long life to public service, including 35 years on the Supreme Court,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said in a statement announcing Justice Stevens’s death. “He brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom, and independence. His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation.”

President Trump and the first lady offered their condolences on Tuesday night in a statement from the White House press secretary.