There are ship s ths that sail sea. But the best ships are friendships and may they always be. A i remember meeting my dear friend in 1962 when my father Millard Simpson was a member of the United States senate. Is i went to washington to help dad settle in his new office being vacated by one senator prescott bush, georges father. We met again when we left washington and they had sold their home to a brand spanking new congressman named george bush. So george and barbara and mom and pop did that sale on a handshake. Sound familiar . Then i came to the senate in 1978 and soon after that ronald ra reagan cornered me and asked me to support him for president. I said, i would, not knowing that my friend george would enter the fray. Hearing that i called and said, george, i want to tell you that id love the help, but i already committed to ronald reagan. Georges response, well, alan, i am sorry about that, i probably should have let you know sooner. And actually a guy doesnt get many calls from a friend who says they cant support him. Sound familiar. Of course it does, because in george bushs theme of life, during all of the highs and the lows, there was a simple credo, what would we do without family and friends. And when he became Vice President , our friendship and joyable friendship was are refreshed and the four of us a had many, many pleasant times together. My life in washington was rather tumultuous. I went from the asocialist to t the v, and never got back to the a. In one dark period i was feeling awful low, and all of my wounds were selfinflicted, all of them. And george called me early one morning, and oh, always rl early always early in the morning and Country Music playinging in the background and he said, ah, i see that the media is shooting you are pretty full of hole, but he actually said it more pungently than that and he said, with why dont we go up to camp david. You and anna come over, and we will have a weekend together. At that time his popularity rating was 93 . Mine was 0. 93 . And so, off we went. The media of course all gathered as we headed to marine one, and george said, now, wave po tto t pals over there in the media, al. They didnt wave back. So next morning he is rattingling through all of the newspapers and the pictures and he said, aha, this is the one i am looking for. And so he had my hand on barbaras back, and i said, george, i am not mindful to what you are doing. You are propping up your old wounded duck pal, and while you are on the top of the game, you are reaching tout me tangled in rich controversy and taking my lumps, and he said, yep. There were staff members, al, who told me not to do this, but, al, this is about friendship and loyalty. Sound familiar. When we had an awful lot of fun, too. Always a delight to be in the president s box at the Kennedy Center off to a play at the National Theater of the warner with the bushes. And outside of the president s box one evening, there was a massive six foot vase with an x extraordinary glaze. I hope you know the difference between to a vase and a vase. 35. Now, george walked up to it, and he said, al, wait, i think that is a truskin, and i noticed this blue grayish glaze from that period, and clay that can only be found in that era. I said, no, no, george. The patina there gives me the perception it is possibly older, and perhaps of greek origin with that particular herbal paste before firing. Of course, people were gathering around mumbling about these expert observers and barbara and anne finally came by and said, get out of here. Both of you, get back in that box. Well, we did. Well, it was impressive for a while. And then of course, one night, the four of us went to see Michael Crawford and singing the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber and all four of us were singing as we went back to the white house dont cry for me, argentina, and tidbits from are the phantom of the opera and a little other magic of the weber, and then getting hammered by a petty bit of effort, and he wrote dont cry for me argentina and the press wrotet that he is finally losing his marbles. And now sh, these honored guest right here before us who have held this noble post know well of the slings and the arrows of outrageous fortune. He was a class act. From birth to death, and he held the strong sinews in mind and body coming from the extraordinary mother. We compared our mothers as velvet hammers, of course, and of course the most awesome fathers. The history books will and are treating him most fairly while uncovering some other powerful traits. His great competitiveness. His raw courage and his selfdiscipline. Recall the Andrews Air Base conclave where the congressional participants drafted a remarkable bill that dealt with budgeting, entitlement reform, and comprehensive and Catastrophic Health care, Social Security solvency and much more, but it required a critical ingredient called revenue. Translated into the word taxes. Translated into the words read my lips and the group with went to george and said, look, we can get this package done, but we must have some revenue, and he said, ill never forget it, he said, what i have said on that subject sure puts a hell of a lot of heat on me. And then they all said, yes, but we can get it done, and it will be bipartisan. And george said, okay, go for it. But it will be a real punch in the gut. Bob dole then a loyal warrior for george took it back to the senate and we won a strong bipartisan vote, and went over to the house where his own party turned on him. Surely one of the main factors of assuring his return to private life, but he often said, when the really tough choices com come, it is the country and not me. It is not about democrats or republicans, it is for our k country that i have fought for. And he was a man of such great humility, those who traveled the high road of humility in washington, d. C. , are not bothered by heavy traffic. And he had a very serious flaw known by all close to him. He loved a good joke. The richer the better, and he threw his head back and give a great laugh, but he never ever could remember a punch line. I mean, never. So the punch line for George Herbert walker bush is this, he you would have wanted him on your side. He never lost his sense of humor. Humor is a universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life. That is what humor is. He never hated anyone. He knew what his mother and my mother always knew, hatred corroding the container it is carried in. Most decent and honorable person i ever met was my friend george bush, one of natures noble men, and iz epitaph perhaps just a single letter, the letter l for loyalty. It coursed through the blood. Loyalty to his country. Loyalty to his family. Loyalty to his friends. Loyalty to the institutions of government and all always, always, always a friend to his friends. None of us were ready for this day. We mourn his loss from our own lives, and what he was to each of us. That is so personal, so intimate, so down inside. It would have been so much easier to have celebrated his life with him here. But he is gone. Irrevocably gone. And now we have to loosen our grip upon him and we shall always retain our memory in our hearts. God has come back to take him back, and we all knew on one unknown day he would return to his god. And now we give him up. We commend him to your loving hands and thank you for him. God rest his soul. In the long and history of america there are beacons that shine in the night the part of vision gave us meaning and kept the lamp of freedom burning bright the long and historied memory of america and those who have their last and final cry all taken by chance or desperate circumstance and his setting sorrow and giving thanks for guaranteeing tomorrow the last full measure of devotion thats what they gave to the call the last full measure of devotion and though they cannot hear out of love we honor then forever and keep alive the stories they tribute to the life and give god the glory the the full measure of devotion beyond the call of duty to the king the last full measure of devotion and celebrating by knee sand so deep divide and joi g joining what is left one shining song and the light will not shine in vain the last full measure of devotion come to the king the last full measure of devotion he gave it to celebrate the need and coming to the king walk my son for christ did not die in vain distinguished guests, including our president s and first ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries and friends. Jeb, neal, mara and i thank you all for being here. I once heard it of man that the idea is to die young as late as possible. At age 85, a favorite pastime of george h. W. Bush was firing up his boat the fidelity and opening up the three 300 horsepower engines to fly, joyfully fly across the atlantic wi with the secret Service Boats straining to keep up. At age 90, george h. W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of st. Annes by the sea in kennebunkport, maine, the church where his mom was married and where he worshipped often. Mother liked to say that he chose the occasion just in case the chute didnt open. In his 90s, he took great delight when his closest pal james a. Baker smuggled a bottle of grey goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired well with the steak that baker had delivered from mortons. To his very last days, dads life was instructive as he aged, he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness, and when the good lord finally called to have the meeting with courage, and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead. One reason that dad knew how the die young is that he almost did it, twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later, he was alone in the pacific on a life raft pray that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did. God answered those prayers. It turned out that he had other plans for george h. W. Bush. For dads part, i think that the brushes of death made him cherish the gift of life, and he vowed to live everyday to the fullest. Dad was always busy. A man in constant motion. But never too busy to share his love of life with those around him. He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey, and he loved the land the elusive striper and once confined to a wheelchair he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walkers Point contemplating the majesty of the atlantic. The rising seas were bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man. That optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible. He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions. He was a patriot. After high school, he put college on hold and became a Navy Fighter Pilot as world war ii broke out. Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service. Until the time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack on japan, and the Mission Complete and the shootdown. We learned of the death of his crewmates whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of the rescue. And then in another audacious e decision, he moved the young family from the comforts of the east coast to ocan ddessa, texa he and mom adjusted to the arid surroundings quickly. He was a tall man and kind and neighborly and kind to the women with whom he and mom and dad and i shared a bathroom in the small duplex, and even the new profession ladies of the night. Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued kascharacter over pedigree, and he was so cynic. He looked for the good in each pers person, and he usually found it. Dad taught us that public s service is noble and necessary, that one can with integrity and hold true to the important values like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the givers soul. To us, his was the brightest of 1,000 points of light. In victory,b he shared credit, and when he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is a part of living a full life. But taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed how setbacks can strengthen. None of his disappointments could compare with one of lifes greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb and i were too young to remember the pain and agony that he and mom felt when our 3yearold sister died. We only learned later that dad a man of quiet faith prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the almighty and the real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious robin again. He loved to laugh. Especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice. He placed great value on a good joke. So that is why i chose simpson to speak. On email he had a soifshlg friends for whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the joke was classic george bush, the rare 7s and 8s were considered huge winners, and most of them off color. George bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He nurtured and honored his Many Friendship s wi friendships with a generous and giving soul. There exists thousands of handwritten notes encouraging or sympathizing or thanking his friends and acquaint tenses, and he had an enormous capacity to give of himself. Many a person would tell you that dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. He listen and he consoled. He was their friend. I think of don rhodes, taylor blanton, jim nantz, Arnold Arnold schwarzenegger and perhaps the most unlikely of all the man who defeated him bill clinton. My siblings and i refer to this group as brothers from other mothers. He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted, and he played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on the speed golf. He was a a good golfer. Well, here is my conclusion, he played fast so that he could move on to the next event to enjoy the rest of the day, to expand the enormous energy, to live it all. He was born with just two settings full throttle, then sleep. He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father and grandfather and great grandfather. He was firm in the principles and supportive as we began to the seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted, but he never steered. We tested his patience. I know i did. But he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love. Last friday when i was told that he had minutes to live, i caledd him. The guy answered the phone and said, i think that that he can hear you sh, but he has not sai anything for most of the day. I said, dad i love you and you have been a wonderful father, and the last words that he would ever say on earth were i love you, too. To us, he was close to perfect. But not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. He wasnt exactly fred astair on the dance floor. The man could not stomach vegetables. Especially broccoli. And by the way he passed the genetic defects on to us. Finally everyday of his 73 years of marriage, dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her totally. And in his old age dad enjoyed watching police show reruns. The volume on high. All of the while holding moms hand. After mom died, dad was strong, but all he really want withed to wanted to do was to hold moms hand again. And he taught me how to be a president who leads with integrity and acts with his heart for the citizens of the country. When the history books are written they are going to say that george h. W. Bush was a great president of the United States, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a commander in chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor. In his inaugural address the 41st president of the United States said this we cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account, we must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it. What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there. That we were more driven to succeed than Anyone Around us, or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better and stayed a moment there to trade a word of friendship. Well, dad, we will remember you for exactly that and much more. And we are going to miss you, and your decency and sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever, and so through our tears, let us mow the blessings of knowing and loving you. A great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have. And in our grief, by this smile knowing that dad is hugging robin and holding moms hand again. Please stand. The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to matthew. Jesus said you are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house, and in the same way let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. T the gospel of the lord. Thanks be to the lord. Bow your heads in prayer, please. Almighty god, of all comfort, console us, of all light strengthen us, in all love inspire us to love you and to love those you send our way. Amen. Please be seated. It is a tremendous honor the follow the speakers and especially someone who i admire so much our 43rd president , and sir, your father always welcomed my visits and never made me feel rushed and always said thank you for coming, and he never made me feel like i was going on too long, but your mother usually said good sermon, too long. I got your email. You are a lot like your mother. Ladies and gentlemen, children of god, when death comes as it does to us all, the life is changed and not ended. And the way we live our lives, and the decisions that we make, and the service that we render matter. They matter to our fellow human beings, to this world that god has given to us, and they matter to god. And few people have understood this as well or have lived their li lives as accordingly as president George Herbert walker bush. And here what i have said, lived it. Not earned it or strived to achieve it, but it was as natural to him as breathing is to each of us. President bush was a good man, a decent man, a godly man, full of grace and love and a quality of absolute necessity to enter the kingdom of god, humility, grounded to serve his god and all gods sent his way. How do i know this . Because for nearly a dozen years, my wife, laura, and our children and i, we have laughed with him. We have fish ed with him. President bush brought up riding in fidelity and we had that pleasure as well, and the secret service was behind us, and he was at full throttle and i saw many of them reaching for what i thought were protective armor, but then i realized following the president , they were actually crossing themselves. We have been blessed to share meals and tears and moments of silence and prayers in great strength and times the of great weakness. Never, not once did i witness anything but care and concern for those around him. The job of a pastor or priest, and imam or rabbi for those who served is to look upon them to look to god to do the right thing to serve others and to love. President bush made my job so easy. A lesson from the hebrew scriptures said that god is light, and see through, and it is defined by missions define and missions complete and we recall recalled with delight when america and her citizens of the mission and ours to be points of light be but with one aim to leave our world better than we found it. Now, i have a political cartoon of the 41st president , and i keep it in my desk with caricatured big ears. He is sitting in his desk and looking at the watch and saying to himself, communism is dead, the wall is down, apartheid is falling and mandela is free, and the sandinistas are ousted and germany is reunited and the cold war is over, and i have returned my calls, and heck, it is not even lunchtime. We sometimes forget all that president bush did for us, and in large part becaupreferreto fe on others and not himself h. President bush gave me this plaque, and on the back a note. Russ a good friend gave this to me a few years ago and it may be of help to you some day. And it reads simply, preach christ at all times and if necessary, use words. It remains on my desk as a remi reminder that faith means more than words. For george bush was at the heart of the faith, but his was a deep faith a simple faith and in the best sense of the word. He knew that two of jesus greatest commandments were to love god and the neighbor, and he loved and served not just some, but all that god sent his way. He lived his own adage that tolerance is a virtue and not a vice. He respected and befriended christians of every denomination as well as jews and muslims and buddhists and sikhs. His comrades were from every nation and race. Yes, he was a republican, but for him Political Parties were but a line in the sand to brush away in times of the greater good of working towards his goal for all of us to be that kind er and gentler nation. The gospel that dean read for us a moment ago reminds us that jesus reminded the followers to be the light of the world to turn their hearts toward god and others and let your shine towards others to see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven, and so was president bush. His life was defined by the faith and the service, and that are worthy of all of those made in gods image. In september of 1990, president bush spoke to those the gather ed outside of those doors for the dedication of this great cathedral. And he pointed inside to that magnificent rose window right there from the outside, and he spoke these words. From where we now stand, the rose window high above seems formless to some and black, but perh perhaps, but when we enter it is back lit by the sun and dazzles in astonishing splendor that we reminded that without faith we are, too, stained glass windows in the dark. The president understood that even in the darkest of nights, things can be transformed if handed over to the redemptive power of the almighty. No one on that first good friday expected easter sunday, but it came. It came because the light that brought creation into being also brought light from the grave. We call that resurrection. Only days ago, i was humbled along with members of the president s staff, his outstanding and loyal medical team, and so many friends. Sully, who i believe has gotten more press a than the president in the last few days. Loving members of his family who called in, who spoke with him throughout the day. And as our 43rd president just said inspired his last words, words of love. Sitting with us was someone that the president liked to call his little brother james baker and his wife susan. As i said, there had been wonderful hugs and kind words and hugs and kisses throughout the day and towards the endk is tear baker and i were sitting on a sofa a few words away, and he whispered to me, you know, that man changed my life. A little bit later secretary baker was at the foot of the president s bed and towards the end, jim baker rub and stroked the president s feet. For perhaps half an hour. The president smiled at the comfort of his dear friend. Here i witnessed a world leader who was serving a servant who had been our worlds leader. And what came to mind was jesus. On that last night before his own crucifixion having said everything that there was to say, he wrapped a towel around his waist and without words he washed his disciples feet, and as jesus said, i have set an example for you, and do as i have done, serve one another, and by this, the world will know that you are my disciples if you serve and you love one another. At the end, we all knelt, and we all placed our hands on the president. We said our prayers together, and then we were silent. For a full long measure. As this man who changed all of our lives, who changed our nation, who changed our world left this life for the next. It was a beautiful end. It was a beautiful beginning. For a moment, a moment only that dear point of life that we know as George Herbert walker bush dimmed, but it is shining brighter than ever before has, and now this godly man, this servant, this child of god is in the loving arms of barbara and robin and the welcoming arms of our lord owho embrachim with di love. Some have said in the last few days, this is the end of an era, but it does not have to be. Perhaps it is the invitation to fill the hole that has been left behind. The president so loved his church. He loved the episcopal church. He so loved our great nation. He so loved you, his friends. He so loved every member of his family. But he was so ready to go to heaven, and heaven was so ready to receive him, because he lived those two great commandments. If you want to honor him, and if you call yourself a daughter or a son of god, then love god. Love your neighbor. Theres no Greater Mission on planet earth. My hunch is heaven. As perfect as it must be, just got a bit kinder and gentler, leaving behind that hole for you and me to fill. How . Preach christ at at all times. If necessary, use words. So, mr. President , Mission Complete. Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome to your eternal home where ceiling and visibility are unlimited and life goes on forever. Amen. I cant believe all hes dreamt and in your life is true we will keep you close always it wont even seem youre gone because our heart will keep us strong and friend cannot stay forever because the welcome will not end though it is hard to let you go in the fathers hands we know that a life will not go far from his friend place in love gods gift speaking from the hope we sow and we will praise and rejoice that without ending the strength and love you showed we gone cause our hearts in big and small ways will keep the love that keeps us strong and friends are friends forever if the lords the lord of them and a friend will not say never cause the welcome will not end though its hard to let you go in the fathers hands we know that a lifetimes not too long to live as friends and friends are friends forever if its the lords the lord of them and a friend will not say never cause the welcome will not end though its hard to let you go in the fathers hands we know that a lifetimes not too long to live as friends no a lifetimes not too long to live as friends in the assurance of eternal life given as baptism let us proclaim our faith and say i believe in god the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in jesus christ his only son our lord. He was conceived by the power of the holy spirit and born of the mother mary, crucified and dieded. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven. And is seated at the right hand of the father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the holy spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. Our father who art in heaven holy be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen for our brother george, let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ who said, i am resurrection and i am life. Lord, you consoled mary and martha in their distress. Draw near to us for those that mourn george and dry the tears of those who weep. Hear us, lord. You wept at the grave of lazarus, your friend. Comfort us in our sorrow. Hear our sorrow. You raised the dead to life. Give to our brother eternal life. Hear us, oh lord. You promise paradise to the thief who repented. Bring our brother to the joys of heaven. Hear us, oh lord. Our brother was washed in baptism and anointed with the holy spirit. Give him fellowship with all your saints. Hear us, oh lord. Comforted us in our sorrows at the death of our brother. Let our faith be our consolation and eternal life our hope. Hear us, oh lord. Father of all, we pray to you for george and for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May his soul and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of god rest in peace. Amen. Oh hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea oh christ whose voice the waters heard and hushed their raging at thy word who walked on the foaming deep and calm amidst its rage didst sleep oh hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea most holy spirit who didst brood upon the chaos dark and rude and bid its angry tumult cease and give for wild confusion