Locals mourn passing of former US President George H.W. Bush

: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, December 2, 2018

Flowers are seen presented at the gate of the residence of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush to commemorate his death in Houston, Texas, the United States, on Dec. 1, 2018. George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, has died Friday at the age of 94, according to a statement from his office. (Xinhua/Steven Song)

Local residents kept coming Saturday morning to the residence of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, leaving flowers at the gate.

The residence is located about 11 km west of downtown Houston, Texas, the United States. Meanwhile, some people were stopping by the George H.W. Bush monument, which is located in the northwest of downtown Houston, to honor the country's 41st president.

The former president of the United States passed away Friday night in Houston at the age of 94.

The White House said Saturday morning that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will attend a state funeral for the former president George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral in central Washington D.C.

Trump, the 45th U.S. president, will designate Wednesday, Dec. 5 as a national day of mourning for the former president, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Texas officials said on Saturday that ceremonies are also in the works in the former president's hometown of Houston and in College Station, about 160 km northwest of downtown Houston, the site of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. His wife, Barbara, and their daughter Robin, who died at age 3, are buried there.

Governor of Texas Greg Abbott said in a statement that George H.W. Bush is one of the greatest presidents of the country, praising the 41st president as "an American hero and icon."

The governor said in the statement that "Texans are genuinely honored that he called the Lone Star State home and we collectively grieve this monumental loss."

Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner also issued a statement on the death of George H.W. Bush. He said that "to Houstonians he was one of our most esteemed and relatable neighbors. He and his wife Barbara Bush were our sports teams' biggest fans, and boosters for everything Houston. The Bushes could have moved anywhere after his time in public office, but they chose to return to their beloved city where he started his political career as the chair of the Harris County Republican Party."

Born on June 12, 1924 in U.S. state of Massachusetts, George H.W. Bush joined the U.S. Navy upon finishing high school in 1942. His wartime duty was spent in the Pacific flying a three-man Avenger torpedo bomber.

He served until September 1945, then attended Yale University. Graduating in 1948 with a degree in economics, he moved his family to West Texas, where he entered the oil business and became a millionaire by the age of 40 in 1964.

In November 1966, he ran for Congress and won. In 1988, he was elected U.S. president as the successor to Ronald Reagan. He served as head of the U.S. Liaison Office in China between 1974 and 1975.