I used to do photo Op., lines for President Bush. My Mom was dying with cancer, and in three weeks I had a scheduled job with President G.H.W Bush. He liked me because he always told me and my team, we were the fastest in a Photo Op. line.
My mom knew of the upcoming job, and told me, "You can not cancel that job with the president, no matter what happens or you will never work again."
The morning of the job, she passed away. That evening , my girl friend, now my wife, came and picked me up. We concluded the project as President Bush liked...Fast. Later in the green room I told him of my mom passing (She knew President Bush), and he cleared the room of everyone, even his USSS protection detail.
The president asked me why I was even here, and I said: my mom told me to not cancel. After that, he said some of the most wonderful things to me I have ever heard, and will never repeat. My future wife came back in, and he unbuttoned his suit coat, took off his presidential seal tie bar, off his tie, and put it in my hand.
After that, we rode with the president in his limo in the motorcade, not the van we were to be in, to the estate he was staying. He gave some brief remarks that included my showing up for the project, in front of some of the most powerful people in the country at the time.
This is was the worst night of my life, and somehow, he made it the best.
President Bush and I worked many times in the future, he was always so nice to myself, wife and daughter.
Thank you, Mr. President, and for all you did for me. It will never be forgotten.
RIP,
RL
PS... I covered the Bush Funeral from beginning to end. My fourth presidential funeral.