May 9 (UPI) -- Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter has died, the court announced Friday. He was 85 years old.
Souter, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and retired in 2009 after serving nearly 20 years on the court, died at his home in New Hampshire on Thursday, the Supreme Court said in a statement.
"Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly 20 years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service," Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr. said in a statement. "After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade. He will be greatly missed."
Souter was a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College with a jurisprudence degree from Oxford.
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Souter served as attorney general of New Hampshire and became an associate justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire in 1978.
Souter was a moderate who voted in favor of reaffirming Roe v. Wade abortion rights in 1992.
He also opposed the 5-4 decision to end Florida ballot counting that gave George W. Bush the presidency in the 2000 election.
"There is no justification for denying the State the opportunity to try to count all disputed ballots now. I respectfully dissent," he wrote at the time.
He also wrote a 5-4 decision in 2005 that blocked three Kentucky counties from displaying framed copies of the Ten Commandments in courthouses and public schools.
Although nominated to the high court by a Republican, Souter's decisions disappointed conservatives who expected him to consistently support conservative opinions in his decisions.
Souter retired at 69 during the Obama administration, allowing Obama to nominate Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
He evolved into what was perceived as a solid liberal vote on issues that included abortion rights, LGBTQ rights and the death penalty.
Born in Lemrose, Massachusetts Sept. 17, 1939, Souter moved to New Hampshire where he enjoyed a simple, frugal life away from Washington.
