WASHINGTON — Jonathan Bush had just left a lunch and was about to head over to the Capitol to visit his brother’s coffin. By evening, he planned to stop by a reception for the extended Bush circle. Everywhere he went, he was reuniting with many of the old gang.

More than a quarter-century after the original Bush administration left Washington and nearly a decade after the departure of the second, the men and women who once ran the nation and, by extension, the world were back. On the eve of the state funeral for President George Bush, they caught up, shared stories and honored those no longer around.

“Everybody’s a mixture of sad and joyful because we’re celebrating a great life,” said Jonathan Bush, the younger brother of the 41st president and uncle of the 43rd. “It’s kind of fun to see old friends and old campaign associates. It’s a great reunion, that’s really what it is. Everybody’s happy, nobody’s weeping. They had such fun with him, it’s like having fun with him for the last time.”