Don Holifield had been blessed with many friends, yet many of them came from an unlikely source.

He was a bail bondsman, and often the people he posted bail for would soon become his friends, many of them lifelong friends.

“Strangers soon became friends,” said Linda, Holifield’s wife.  “That’s just the way it was with him.”

For Douglas resident Alex Espinosa, Holifield had a lot of compassion for people.

“Don never saw the bad in people, only the bad decisions they made,” Espinosa said.

And because he never saw the bad in people, Holifield would always find a way to steer them into the right direction, Espinosa said.

Holifield died on Sept. 16 at St Mary’s Hospital in Tucson. He was 60 years old.

According to Linda, Holifield had a passion for his work, and especially, for competitive single action shooting.

A series of trophies at the Holifield home attested to his passion for the sport.

Once news of his death became public, many friends, including many of those whom he had bailed, called Linda to express their condolences.

The phone has not stopped ringing, she said. But neither has it stopped ringing from someone in need of bail.

Last words

Holifield’s last words to Linda still ring in her heart, she said.

At St. Mary’s Hospital, she had been in his room, talking with him and helping fluff his pillows. She turned away for a moment and when she looked back at him, she saw that something was wrong.

She called a nurse, and soon the doctors were at his side. Shortly after, though, Holifield died, she said, as tears welled up in her eyes.

“He will certainly be missed,” she said. “We did everything together. But he will be missed by many here in Cochise County.”

A memorial service will be held for Holifield on Sat. Oct. 4, 2008 at 2p.m. at the Chapel of Adair Douglas Funeral Home located at 1860 8th Street.

A gathering in his honor will be held at his home.