SANTEE, Calif. — On Thursday evening in Santee, the community came together to honor and remember Steve Krueger, the UPS driver who was killed in Monday’s plane crash.
At the vigil, Steve’s co-worker Robert Moreno spoke remembering how dedicated he was to his job.
“Most of us go to work because we have to. Steve came to work because he wanted to. He could’ve retired but he loved his neighborhood, he loved his customers, he loved his job as you can see," Moreno said.
Hundreds of people stood at the corner of Jeremy and Mast in Santee, holding candles and standing together to support Krueger’s family and those impacted by Monday’s plane crash.
“All the affection and overwhelming response from all of you, that made this much easier to deal with it," Steve's brother Jeff Krueger said. "Steve would not want anybody to be upset or sad about his passing.”
Steve's brother also told the crowd how much Steve loved his life, his job and how he always told stories about the people he’d meet while at work.
“He used to come to our house every week. I just talked to him last week and he was talking about retirement," said a Santee resident named Jack. "We were talking about him going to Mammoth. He bought a house. As soon as I heard what happened, I said it was him and it was.”
Many of the neighbors in the Santee neighborhood knew and adored Krueger. They say he loved chatting with people on his route. Even if they were not getting a delivery they received a smile and a hello.
Steve Krueger was a 30-year veteran of UPS before he lost his life doing what he loved.
Steve's brother told News 8 that his brother’s warm personality is what pulled people in.
“People just gravitate to him and once they started a conversation with him, it would continue,” said Jeff. “He was just a naturally likable guy.”
Jeff joked that it's amazing his brother Steve always got his deliveries done because he loved chatting with the people along his route in Santee. They treated him like family, and for that - Jeff is grateful.
“Thanks for always being such great customers for my brother. You guys really made his job enjoyable, and he really enjoyed all of them.”
At the UPS facility Steve worked out of, a moment of silence was held Tuesday morning. Also, around the county at 12:14 p.m., the time of the crash, fellow drivers got together to honor their co-worker. Some visited the crash site, where they stood quietly and shared hugs.
WATCH: Family and friends remember UPS driver killed by plane crash