Many spoke of Bush's role in a bygone era of bipartisan civility in USA politics, a sharp contrast to today's bitter divisions in the age of President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican.

Inside the Capitol, people in wheelchairs visited the casket alongside Sully, the 2-year-old Labrador retriever assigned to Bush after his wife, Barbara, died in April.

He will be honored during several public and private events in Houston and Washington before his burial Thursday in Texas. She was invited to the White House by first lady Melania Trump. They exited the rotunda with little fanfare.

A ceremony will be held at the train station as Bush's casket is loaded onto a Union Pacific train.

Joining American notables and representatives from more than a dozen countries is an electrician and fix-it man, Mike Lovejoy, who has worked at Bush's ME summer estate since 1990. Bush was the last USA president to have served in World War II. After the hour-long service, a motorcade will transport Bush's casket to a train station north of Houston, near the worldwide airport named after Bush.

Bush's death reduces membership in the ex-presidents' club to four: Jimmy Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Bush was eulogized during a Capitol ceremony by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who called him "a humble servant who loved his fellow citizens", and a "principled leader who knew America not only guards our own future, but also safeguards democracy for the world".

"He kept us flying high and challenged us to fly higher still".

Bush was being transported aboard the presidential Boeing 747 - made available at Trump´s direction - from Houston to Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland.

Then the former president will lie in state in the Capitol's rotunda starting at 5 p.m. Monday until Wednesday morning.

It features a photograph of Sully laying down in front of Bush and Bill Clinton, the man who defeated him in the 1992 presidential race. After an official ceremony, thousands of Americans are expected to file in to pay their final respects to Bush. "One of the things that I think was important to the president was the rest command, where Sully would rest his head on the president's lap".

Google changed its famous multicolor logo to a solemn gray on Wednesday to mark the day of George H.W. Bush's funeral. "With his passing, we mark one of the last pages of a defining chapter in American history", he wrote in a statement sent to Congress.

Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister who also gave a eulogy for Ronald Reagan.

His time as president was marked by the end of the Cold War and the first Gulf war against Saddam Hussein.

Soon after he reached the height of his political popularity following the liberation of Kuwait, with public approval ratings that are the envy of today's politicians, the US economy began to sour and voters began to believe that Bush, never a great communicator - something even he acknowledged - was out of touch with ordinary people.

Ryan said Monday, "Here lies a great man".

"I'm just here to pay my respects", said Jane Hernandez, a retired physician.