It is difficult to write on the occasion of the death of a man who loved his county so much that he dedicated his life to its service. In the death of its 41st President, the United States of America has lost a man who so perfectly and precisely embodied the values of his nation.
For more than seven decades, Bush served his nation with honour; proud to serve under and for the American flag.
Ever since putting on his country's uniform during the Second World War, George HW Bush never stopped seeking out ways in which he could support his fellow Americans. He acted as their envoy to China, their ambassador to the United Nations, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He served in the two highest offices in the country; first as its Vice President and then as its 41st President, before offering counsel to those who served after him.
He was a man who refused to put party before country; who even as chairman of the GOP looked across the aisle for ways to build a better future for America. George HW Bush was, and always will be, a testament to the notion that public service is a noble calling which asks the brightest in society to offer solutions, ideas and leadership to their fellow citizens.
George HW Bush answered the call of the Oval Office not for fame or glory or acclaim, but because it was what was right for his nation. At every turn he put aside his own selfish interest and asked how he could make life better for millions of Americans; democrat and republican and independent alike.
When the glories of public life and the challenges that come with being Commander-in-Chief were at an end, Bush remembered those things which were most important and valuable to him;
"I got more of a kick being one of the founders of the YMCA in Midland, Texas, back in 1952 than almost anything I've done."
- George HW Bush
At this time, while the world joins together in mourning the loss of a President, we must remember those things that were more at part of George HW Bush than any election he could win or office he could hold; he was a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud family man.
My condolences lie right now with the entire Bush family, and to those who knew and loved the 41st President of the United States, George HW Bush.
