On the surface, Marine Joshua Holden's black 2000 Honda Civic looked just like any other coupe of its kind.
But the car's exterior belied the countless hours and extensive modifications Holden had put into the vehicle before he died late last year from an extremely rare blood disease and leukemia.
As one of the last connections to the Marine, who deployed to Iraq twice and also served in the Arizona Army National Guard, the car embodied Holden's ideals and personality, family members said.
They now seek the public's help in finding the Civic, which was stolen from Tucson Electric Park's parking lot on Palm Sunday, March 16.
Holden's friend Rob Bastian drove the car to TEP to watch a spring-training game. He parked the vehicle, worth about $12,000, around 1:30 p.m., according to a Tucson Police Department report.
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When Bastian returned to the parking lot around 3:15 p.m., the vehicle was gone.
The value of the car, which featured an Arizona veterans license plate that said "Iraq," doesn't compare with what the Civic meant to the family, said Holden's brother, James.
"It was a really tangible manifestation of spending time with Josh," James Holden said. "While we couldn't spend time with him anymore, we could continue to work on the car the way he wanted to."
Known for being a perfectionist who preferred substance over style, Holden was diagnosed with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH, after suffering shortness of breath while competing in a fitness test with other National Guard soldiers.
The disease is caused by mutations of blood stem cells and can be cured only by a bone marrow transplant. While Holden was waiting for a donor, he developed leukemia, a blood cancer.
He died in October at age 29.
Throughout his treatment, Holden refused to complain. He told relatives that he was thankful to have made it home from combat, and he spent time educating the community about the need for bone marrow donations.
The Civic reflected Holden's personality, his brother said. He built the car to perform and refused to put flashy decals, large spoilers or neon lights on it. Instead, he added a custom-built rear suspension, a new intake system and a custom interior.
"Everything was done with a purpose — to make it go," his brother said. "It matched him to a T."
Relatives ask anyone with information about the car to contact police or call 88-CRIME, the anonymous tip line of the Pima County Attorney's Office.
"While we couldn't spend time with him anymore, we could continue to work on the car the way he wanted to."
James Holden, brother of Joshua Holden
