Obama called Scalia, who served on the nation's highest court for nearly 30 years, a "larger-than-life presence" and said he intended to nominate someone to fill the vacant seat before leaving the White House next January.

"I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibility to appoint a successor in due time and there will be plenty of time for me to do so and for the Senate to give that person a fair hearing and timely vote," Obama told reporters in California.