George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush shared a special bond, only the second father-and-son pair in the history of the United States to hold the office of the presidency.
But what we heard Wednesday, as the younger Bush eulogized his father, weren't simply the remarks of one president remembering another. They were from an emotional son remembering his dad, "a great and noble man," Bush said.
Here are five touching – and, at times, humorous – stories from George W. Bush's eulogy:
'Dad knew how to die young'
"As he aged, he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness, and when the good Lord finally called, how to meet him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead.
"One reason Dad knew how to 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, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did.
"God answered those prayers. It turned out he had other plans for George H.W. Bush."
'He played golf at a legendary pace'
"He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on speed golf. He was a good golfer. Well, here's my conclusion: He played fast, so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy, to live it all."
Living next door to 'ladies of the night'
"And then another audacious decision: He moved his young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas.
"He and Mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, Mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex, even after he learned their profession: ladies of the night."
'Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious Robin again'
"None of his disappointments could compare with one of life's greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and Mom felt when our 3-year-old 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."
'Dad, I love you and you've been a wonderful father"
"Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, 'I think he can hear you, but he hasn't said anything for most of the day.' I said, 'Dad, I love you, and you've been a wonderful father.' And the last words he would ever say on earth were, 'I love you, too.'
"To us, he was close to perfect. But not totally perfect. His [golf] short game was lousy."
