Hundreds of former neighbors lined the street outside the Houston funeral home when former President George H.W. Bush’s body was loaded into a hearse for the trip to Washington.
Kathy French arrived early to honor her neighbor.
She watched from across the street as the Bush family gathered inside the funeral home.
“What a great day to put my hand over my heart and salute a true statesman, a true ambassador of the United States," she said with tears in her eyes.
As others started to fill the sidewalks, French was struck by the finality of the moment.
"When I saw the presidential seal on the hearse, it was a good day to salute America and what he built," she said.
Soon, the Bush family emerged from the funeral home, with the casket of the former president. His loyal service dog Sully was there too.
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Another neighbor, Austin Goings, said he sometimes saw the Bushes doing common things.
"I used to belong to the same health club as President Bush and he'd come in there in his tattered sweats and workout," Goins said.
French had her own encounter.
"I remember one day New Year’s Day I came around the corner at this aisle of this grocery store and there he was larger than life and I just said, 'Happy New Year’s Mr. President,' and he said, 'Thank you so much, and you too,'" she said.
Katherine Hughes brought her 4-year-old son Graham to catch a glimpse of the procession.
"He's worthy of respect,” she said. “I think he was a good decent person.”
As the procession started to move, the street was full of everyday people who came to pay their final respects to the former president.
As the hearse rolled past, there was Kathy French, who took time from her job in medical sales to say goodbye.
She placed her hand over her heart just like she had planned.
"He really was a neighbor,” she said. “He lived and worked in the neighborhood.”
