Joshua Roy Sotelo

Joshua Roy Sotelo, 33 of Texas, passed away on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. A visitation will be held from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Monday, May 5, 2025 at The Branch at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home. Services will be at 10:00am, Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel. A private interment will follow at a later date at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa, TX.

Joshua was born on July 1, 1991 in Dunoon, Scotland to Robert Sotelo and Connie Lujan. Joshua grew up in various places due to his father being in the Navy. His most cherished time in his youth was in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, where he developed lifelong friendships and graduated from Ewa Beach High School. After returning to Texas, he met his wife, Christina, in Midland and they married on February 13, 2015 after 4 years of dating. Josh joined the Navy in November 2015, being assigned to the USS Kearsarge in Norfolk, Virginia. Josh served 4 years aboard, and during that time, Josh and Christina’s daughter, Coraline, was born on July 13, 2019. Josh completed his shore duty at spent 3 years at Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Base in the Missile Warning Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was here Josh earned his nick name “Ringleader” and detected and assessed worldwide missile threats, as well as nuclear detonations and space re-entry events. In September 2024, Josh was then stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, and the family moved to Oklahoma City. He was a part of STRATCOMWING ONE, whose mission is to receive, verify, and retransmit messages to US strategic forces.

Josh enjoyed spending his free time with shipmates playing games online, a lifelong hobby of collecting and playing Pokémon, traveling, card games, and watching horror movies. His most treasured time was spent with Christina and Coraline, creating memories and discovering new adventures in each place they moved.

Joshua is survived by his wife Christina Sotelo and their daughter Coraline Sotelo; father Robert Sotelo; mother Connie Lujan  and stepfather Jose Lujan; sister Bobbie Sotelo; brother Larry Sotelo; brother Adrian Lujan, parents In-law Eva Plummer and Robert Plummer; sister-in-law Justine De La Pena and brother-in-law Steven De La Pena; nephew Maddox De La Pena; and niece Brooklyn De La Pena.

Joshua is preceded in death by his grandparents, Sofia and Santiago Hinojos.

The family would like to express their gratitude towards first responders at Tinker Air Force Base, shipmates and command at STRATCOMMWING ONE, Cheyenne Mountain Missile Warning Center, and USS Kearsarge, and all the family and friends who have supported Josh throughout his enlistment.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making memorial donations to the Exceptional Family Member Program at Tinker Air Force Base.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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