One last wish

MONTROSE — On Saturday afternoon, friends and family gather at a funeral home in Cedaredge to pay their respects to Al Arnett, who lost his life to a half-year battle with pancreatic cancer just over a week ago.  However, some find some comfort in Al’s beloved restored 1987 GMC truck that is carrying his casket to where he would be buried, knowing that Al got to take a ride in the truck he had always dreamed of restoring.

“It’s fitting,” said Erich Elit, Arnett’s brother-in-law. “He was just a super guy.”

Normally, restoring a vehicle costs large amounts of money and time. However, in the case of Al’s old 1987 GMC it didn’t take either. It was made possible by the goodness in many people’s hearts.

It began in March, when Al began experiencing pain and was later to learn he had a growth on his pancreas. Although a successful surgery occurred weeks later, it was determined Al had pancreatic cancer.

Although Al remained positive, things took a turn for the worse when the cancer spread to his liver. He and his wife Dawn began selling things they felt they could afford to get rid of — such as a family boat and truck— to prepare for future expenses. However, Al was set on keeping his truck and was determined to carry out his dream — restoring his 1987 GMC.

In hopes of surprising Al, family members teamed up hoping to be able to fulfill his dream. Elit drove the truck down to Montrose while Al and his family were on vacation in Hawaii. Expecting to get an estimate on what it would cost to restore the truck, Montrose Auto Body owner Mark Blakeman told Elit that he and his crew had talked it over and agreed to work on the truck for no cost during their time off and on weekends.

“We were just trying to make an impact on a situation that wasn’t pleasant,” Blakeman said. “We were just trying to help.”

Al’s oldest daughter told her Dad that her car was having so many problems that it would be needed to be put in a shop for a few weeks. Al gave her his truck so that she would have a vehicle, not knowing it was actually going to be a completely new truck when it was returned.

Montrose Auto Body staff gathered together on nights and weekends to work on the body of the truck, which needed rust repair, body repair and a new paint job. The new paint job also included specially painted orange flames on front and back of the truck.

“These guys are just amazing,” Elit said of the generosity of Montrose Auto Body employees. “The truck looks great.”

McPherson Off Road also contributed by working on new tires, suspension and steering stabilizers.

The original plan was to present Al his new truck yesterday afternoon at Montrose Auto Body. Being that Al was a huge Denver Broncos fan, Elit had arranged with former Bronco Vance Johnson to come out and present the truck, which Johnson immediately agreed to after hearing the story.

But when things began to get worst, Elit said he knew the plan had to change.

On Thursday, Elit along with Mark and Sheila Blakeman (Montrose Auto Body owners) and Trevor McPherson (McPherson Off Road owner) met Al in his hospital room on Thursday, Nov. 20th to tell him the great news about his truck.

“He was just really happy and thankful,” Elit said when they told Al about his truck and showed him pictures. He said Al wanted to get everyone together if he got out of the hospital and have a beer with them for their hard work and generosity.

Although Al passed on Monday, Nov. 24th, Montrose Auto Body worked around the clock to finish the truck for a celebration on Friday. Employees didn’t leave until 3 a.m. on Thursday.

On Friday, friends, family and those who worked on the truck gathered at Montrose Auto Body to celebrate the truck’s complete restoration and to remember Al.

“He would do anything for anyone. I don’t think he said anything bad about anyone — besides the Oakland Raiders,” Al said of his die hard Broncos fan brother-in-law.

Elit said the 47-year-old Al was a special guy and be loved and missed by many.

As for Al’s 1987 GMC, Elit said he thought  his sister Dawn would keep the truck and give it to Al and Dawn’s six-year-old daughter Adison when she was old enough to drive.

Elit dubbed it “Operation: Al’s Truck and said it was all success and that it couldn’t have been done without the generosity of others.

“It’s simple, they all just did it out of the goodness of their hearts,” Elit said of everyone who worked on the truck.

November also marks National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month. To learn more or make a donation, visit www.pancan.org.