Harold Gary Morse, the billionaire developer behind the sprawling retirement community of The Villages in Sumter County, has died.

Morse died Wednesday night, according to The Villages Daily Sun. He was 77.

Flags were flying at half-staff in the Villages Thursday, marking the death of the visionary. Morse took over a small mobile home park from his father and turned it into one of the country's largest retirement communities. It is now home to more than 100,000 residents.

“Both Harold and Gary Morse did a fantastic job. They had an idea that was bigger than life and brought that life here to the Villages,” Aileen Milton, a former Villages property manager who worked with Morse, said.

Part of the concept, for the area that now boasts signs calling it "Florida’s friendliest hometown," was that where you choose to retire is the more than just a house.

2959 “there’s over 40 golf courses, 60 different villages, 77 swimming pools, 100 some pool tables, bocce ball; you name it, it’s all here,” Villages resident Bob McNeely said.

Morse was well known for his contributions to the Republican Party, luring well-known politicians like Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and even Former President Bush.

“Gary Morse looked at the pastures and prairies of Florida’s interior and saw the American Dream. Not just for him, but for the tens of thousands of seniors who have been able to enjoy their golden years and continue to live them to their fullest. His vision created a retirement community unlike any other, and Florida is richer for his entrepreneurial spirit," Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said.

But despite his wealth and power Morse preferred to stay behind the scenes.

"He was very casual, he’d walk around in his jeans and his old cowboy hat and if you didn’t know that was his motif you wouldn’t recognize him,” Milton said.

He leaves behind his wife and children who are still heavily involved in developing the Villages.

“It will not miss a beat, but he will be missed, he has a legacy that few men can be known for in their lifetime,” Milton said.

Executives in both the Villages government and sales Offices declined comment on Morse's death, out of respect for the family.

The family’s statement to the Villages Daily Sun described Morse as avoiding the limelight:

While he was a friend and adviser to captains of industry, presidents and heads of state, he never lost focus on this community and making it the greatest retirement development in the world.

The family did not give a cause of death.