George Bush senior has passed away at 94

George Herbert Walker Bush, America's 41st president, has died. He was 94.

Bush died at 10.40pm CT on Friday, his office confirmed in a statement.

Bush was a steadfast force on the international stage for decades, from his stint as an envoy to Beijing to his eight years as vice president and his one term as commander in chief from 1989 to 1993.

The last veteran of World War II to serve as president, Bush came to be seen as a consummate public servant and a statesman who helped guide the nation and the world out of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War that had carried the threat of nuclear annihilation.

He was also the father to George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is reproduced here with permission.