The life of George H.W. Bush offers so many opportunities for reflection and learning. He was driven by service to others and at age 18 was counseled to attend college rather than join the military. He respectfully chose not to follow that advice and became the youngest flyer in the Navy. He flew over fifty combat missions and was shot down and lost two members of his crew.The pain of losing those two men stayed with him for a lifetime and he used that grief to lead a meaningful life. Touched also by losing a young child to cancer he behind the scenes quietly never lost his need to privately comfort others, and he frequently wrote personal notes to those who were in the midst of personal losses. His political life was colored by early losses but he never lost his desire to make a difference. Intensely competitive he evidenced respect for those who beat him in political races. He was a man who could build friendships across the aisle, and was never owned by the label of his party. He was a man with a keen sense of dry humor and loved it when comedians imitated his foibles. This was a man who loved country, family and though born of privilege wanted a fair shake for everyone in this world. The adventurous little boy never left him ,and in his nineties he was sky diving and looking for new horizons. Well done Mr.President, and may your model of life be one that forces all of us to imitate the path that you have shown us.