BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge businessman and community icon Jim Bernhard died Sunday after a brief illness, The Advocate reported. He was 71.

Bernhard founded The Shaw Group, a pipe fabrication company, and Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm.

Bernhard was a prominent figure in state and local politics and large donor to Democratic candidates.

He is survived by his wife, Dana Bernhard, and his children Benjamin Bernhard, Michael Bernhard, Patrick Bernhard, Kathryn Gerry and Tres Bernhard, and eight grandchildren.

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