George HW Bush legacy: He was one of the most qualified presidents to assume office

George Herbert Walker Bush, who served as the 41st President of the United States, came into the White House as one of the most qualified candidates ever to assume office. Bush, marked for his diplomacy and his expertise in national security affairs saw a long career in both domestic and foreign affairs before he delved into the presidency. He had served as United Nations ambassador, US liaison to China and CIA director before becoming vice president during Ronald Reagan's term and then moving on to win the presidency.

The World War II hero is also recognized for his unique ability to navigate the uncertainty which the White House faced after Soviet Union's disintegration. Bush's popularity rose with the 1991 Gulf War, however, he did acknowledge that he had trouble articulating "the vision thing" successfully to the voters.

Even though his presidency reflected a success in foreign affairs, his treatment of domestic affairs did not go well with the American voters, which led him to lose his bid for a second presidential term. The voters, at the time, could not oversee the economic recession they were witnessing at home and his achievements in foreign policy mattered little to them in comparison. He lost his bid for re-election to Bill Clinton.

Bush was not an advocate of radical change and offered a sense of continuity with the Reagan years, which spurred critics to say that his administration lacked vision. However, despite the criticisms, Bush made some notable progress when it came to domestic achievements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act Amendment. The former president also saw communism begin to crumble on his watch as the Berlin Wall came down during his presidency and the Warsaw Pact disintegrated.

After his not lengthy, but remarkable, term at the White House, the son of a governor, Bush went on to become the patriarch of one of the most prominent political families in the United States. His son George W Bush saw an eight-year term at the White House as the 43rd President of the United States, while his other son, Jeb Bush, was elected as the Governor of Florida in 1998 and he even made a run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, however, he was unsuccessful.

As he aged, the former president, approached old age with an unusual vigor as he celebrated his 75th, 80th and 90th birthdays by skydiving over College Station, Texas, the home of his presidential library. He did it again for his 85th birthday in 2009, this time parachuting near his oceanfront home in Maine. George HW Bush passed away on November 30, nearly eight months after the death of his late beloved wife Barbara Bush.