Former President George H.W. Bush remembered for his achievements -- and for Dana Carvey's SNL impression

The New York Times

George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States who served from 1989 to 1993, died Friday night, less than eight months after the death of Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years. The former president had been suffering from a form of Parkinson's disease in recent years. But his illness didn't stop him from making public appearances, like doing the coin flip at the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston. As The New York Times notes, Bush "was a transitional figure in the White House, where he served from 1989 to 1993, capping a career of more than 40 years in public service. A decorated Navy pilot who was shot down in the Pacific in 1944, he was the last of the World War II generation to occupy the Oval Office." In pop-culture, however, it may be Dana Carvey's portrayal of Bush on Saturday Night Live that looms largest. Regarded as one of the best-ever impressions, Carvey recalls that the president himself ultimately came to embrace it.   "They welcomed me and my wife to the White House after they had lost the election (in 1992) and we really hung out with him, we really got to know them," Carvey told Conan O'Brien in April, shortly after Barbara Bush's death. Carvey also revealed that Bush himself was a mimic. "George had always fancied himself an impressionist...he started doing a little James Cagney," Carvey said, adding: "I just love them and I wish the best for everybody." ALSO: Watch George H.W. Bush's SNL cold open from October 1994.