James Russell could never envision himself being taken to his final resting place in a hearse.
As a retired Tucson firefighter, there was only one vehicle that would give Russell his last ride: a firetruck.
On Friday, his request was partially granted after a close friend and neighbor worked diligently to restore a firetruck that Russell called his own.
Russell, 75, died on March 8 after battling lung cancer since August 2008, his son said.
His ashes traveled on a 1935 Ahrens Fox Fire Engine in a memorial procession from Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, where a Mass was celebrated, to Sabbar Shrine Center, where friends, family and former colleagues gathered.
His primary goal was for his remains to be carried in the 1954 Mack hose truck that the Last Alarm Foundation, a project Russell helped spearhead for the last five years, is rebuilding. The truck, however, wasn't quite ready.
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But Dwaine Jungen worked diligently after Russell's death to restore the Ahrens truck, which hadn't moved in about 20 years.
It took two weeks for Jungen, a custom-vehicle and heavy-truck mechanic, to transform the vehicle from a relic to parade-worthy.
"The odd thing about the truck is that it's from 1935, so parts aren't plentiful," said Jungen, who specializes in building everything from custom cars to rock-climbing vehicles and has appeared on Discovery Channel's "Monster Garage."
Jungen encountered numerous obstacles, ranging from dried-out brake fluid to gauges that didn't work.
"There was work on the engine that had to be addressed because a lot of things were missing," he said.
The memorial procession represented the vision of the foundation, which aims to give firefighters a traditional fire-service funeral procession.
The Mack hose truck will be used to transport the coffins and remains of any deceased firefighter - active duty and retired.
Russell was the restoration director for the project.
"It's a reminder to those that are behind that a brother or sister has fallen and has responded to their last alarm," said retired Tucson firefighter Bill Martin, who serves with the foundation. "He wanted to be the first to ride on our truck."
Russell's ashes will ride on the Mack truck later this year once its restoration is completed. His ashes will then be interred at Holy Hope Cemetery, said his son, Tom Russell.
Russell joined the Tucson Fire Department in 1960, rising to the rank of deputy chief before retiring in 1990.
Russell treated the Fire Department as a second family and eventually bonded with a group of fellow retired firefighters, Martin said.
The idea for the Last Alarm Foundation was spawned from that group, he said.
Russell and the other retirees, along with assistance from city leaders, found an old firetruck and created the foundation to raise money for the project.
"In a lot of ways, he was the driving force in the personality the truck has developed into," said Jungen, who also is rebuilding the Mack truck.
That truck will feature a new transmission, new electronic drive train, as well as heat, air conditioning and a stereo, he said.
He is working to make the truck as perfect as possible, just as Russell wanted it.
"He was really into all the little details. He was a perfectionist at heart," he said. "He will be sincerely missed."
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at 573-4115 or jyounger@azstarnet.com
