Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I, and our families, thank you all for being here. I once heard it said of man that the idea is to die young as late as possible. [Laughter] 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. 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 loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice. He placed great value on a good joke. That’s why he chose Simpson to speak. [Laughter] 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 short game was lousy. [Laughter] He wasn’t exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man couldn’t stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us. In his old age, Dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high all the while holding Mom’s hand. After Mom died, Dad was strong. But all he really wanted to do was hold Mom’s hand again. Of course, Dad taught me another special lesson: He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country. When the history books are written, they will 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’re going to remember you for exactly that and much more — and we’re going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity, and kind soul will stay with us forever. So through our tears, let us know 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, let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom’s hand again. [Applause]