ST. LOUIS — "He was a good kid. He had a kind heart and he was loyal to his friends," said Debi Nollman about her son, Donovan Callender.
And many people loved Callender. He was a longtime fan of the Blues and the Cardinals.
The bar manager also was a fixture at Fieldhouse in Midtown for the last three years.
"He loved the people that he worked with. He loved the customers who came in. He was a good guy," said Donovan's mom.
A "good guy" who had big dreams.
Donovan recently got engaged.
He was looking forward to celebrating his 40th birthday next Saturday with his family and fiancee.
"He was moving in with his fiancee this weekend, and his life was gonna change in such a positive way and he had his whole life ahead of him," his mom said.
But last Saturday evening, Callender's life took a tragic turn.
"It's gone. It's gone for his fiancee. It's gone for us. It's gone for him and all his friends," added Nollman.
She said her son left work and was headed down Olive Street.
"And he was walking to Vito's to meet his fiancee," said Nollman.
Sadly, Callender never made it.
Police said a driver slammed into him and left him on the ground to die.
"I just don't know how they can live with themselves. It's a life. It's a family that feels destroyed right now," said Donovan's mother.
His hurting mom now wears a bright, green bracelet in memory of her son, the organ donor.
"I know that his kidneys are here in the St. Louis area and the people that have them will enjoy the Cardinals' games that he loved and the Blues' games that he loved. As for that driver, it may be unrealistic, but I hope he or she will come forward and talk to police," Nollman said.
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