He was the President of the United States, but to former Florida Gov. Bob Martinez, George Herbert Walker Bush was a polite man first.
“Just a gentleman,” Martinez said from his South Tampa home Saturday, just hours after the former president died. “Just a polite human being. Can’t think of a better word to use than a polite human being,” he said.
Inside his home hangs a picture of the first meeting between the two from the 1980s.
RELATED:
George H.W. Bush dies at 94; made greatest mark in Gulf War
TIMELINE: Life of George H. W. Bush
Florida’s state flags will fly at half-staff to honor President George H.W. Bush
George P. Bush talks about being influenced by ‘Gampy’
Federal buildings to close Wednesday to honor George H.W. Bush
Martinez, a Florida politician. Bush, vice president under Ronald Reagan.
Years later, after Martinez left the governor role and Bush became president, Martinez joined the administration as drug czar.
He vividly remembers their one-on-one meetings.
“Very bright. Easy to be with. Sometimes overly polite, quite frankly, when he’s talking to you,” he said.
And candid.
Martinez, who served as mayor of Tampa before becoming governor, admired Bush’s presence in the public during what would become his final years.
“I think he set an example by being public with his Parkinson’s, talking, showing you could still be something. And I really respect that,” he said.
Martinez and his wife, Mary Jane, plan to attend funeral services for Bush next week in Washington, D.C.
