As he was walking out of the White House to his limousine for the ride to the Capital on the last day of Ronald Reagan's presidency, a White House aide looked at the President with tears in his eyes and quietly said: " There will never be another one like him."

Every president is unique, of course, but there was just something special about the man. Yet even people who knew Ronald Reagan well often had difficulty describing him. Optimistic, but not naive. Articulate, but not glib. Intelligent, yet guided by common sense. Well mannered, but never pretentious. Friendly, but not a push-over. Charismatic, but real. Principled, but not intransigent.

He was all of that and so much more. Perhaps the key to understanding Ronald Reagan is to realize his two defining characteristics: He genuinely liked people, and he was comfortable with who he was. That may not sound like much, but when you're President, it makes all the difference.

There was not a day during his eight years in the White House that Ronald Reagan did not work to ensure the domestic tranquility written about in the very first sentence of the Constitution. Forming a more perfect union was why he sought the Presidency in the first place and was his North star.

Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest US Presidents of all time. Nicknamed the Gipper for his role in the movie "Knute Rockne, All American" where he portrayed George Gipp, the talented player for a football team who was also called the "Gipper."