The Houston Texans announced that founder and owner Robert McNair died Friday in Houston. He was 81.
According to the Houston Chronicle, McNair had been fighting skin cancer for several years.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce Houston Texans Founder, Senior Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and philanthropist, Robert C. McNair passed away peacefully in Houston today with his loving wife, Janice, and his family by his side," the Texans said in a statement.
McNair was a longtime Houston businessman and the founder of Cogen Technologies, which he sold in 1999. He led the charge to bring pro football back to Houston, and in 1999, the NFL awarded him an expansion team. Professional football officially returned to the city with the 2002 inaugural season.
Former President George H.W. Bush, a longtime McNair friend and fellow Texan, reflected on McNair's life in a tweet on Friday, writing: "Bob McNair wasn't just the brightest Point of Light in Houston; he was one of the kindest and most generous people anywhere. Nobody cared — or helped people — more, and that's just one of the reasons I will always be proud Bob was my good friend."
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