Jose Antonio Soria Martinez

Jose Antonio Soria Martinez, age 56, of Indianapolis, IN - adoring husband, father, brother, uncle, nephew, and friend - passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on May 14, 2026.

Jose was born on January 10, 1970, in Guadalajara, Spain - the eldest son to the late Felisa Martinez Abian and Jose Antonio Bartolome Soria Aunon. He is survived by his siblings Elena Soria Martinez and Carlos Soria Martinez. A proud Spaniard to the very end, he carried his homeland with him through three decades of life in the United States, returning often to be with his beloved family and friends - visits that many described as a uniting force, drawing everyone together around him. He especially looked forward to summers in his pueblo, the small mountain village of his grandparents in Banos de Tajo, a place that always held his heart. In his youth, he was a competitive basketball player, and throughout his life he followed Spanish news, politics, and current events daily, sharing what he learned with his children and anyone else willing to listen.

Jose studied at el colegio San Pedro Apostol de Guadalajara and el instituto Brianda de Mendoza de Guadalajara before graduating from la Universidad de Alcala de Henares with a degree in Geography & History. It was in Alcala where he met his love, Barbara Arndt, in 1993. Despite not sharing in a common language nor country, their love blossomed into a beautiful life together. They married in 1998 in Barbara’s hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana. Jose and Barbara travelled the world and lived in New York, Germany, Florida, California, Chicago and finally settled in Indianapolis in 2008 where they raised their three children - Sylvia, Elia, and Mateo. Being a father was Jose’s greatest pride and joy. His number one priority was being present to care for, guide and support his children. There was not a prouder father at all of his kids’ sporting events where he was a constant presence. Despite his kids being spread across countries, Jose remained constantly available for daily facetime calls, chats, Wrigley updates, and unending support. Jose was also a loving uncle to many nieces and nephews, in the U.S. and in Spain, and was adored by all.

Jose was a longtime resident of the Meridian-Kessler area of Indianapolis and was known as a kind and caring neighbor and friend to so many. He could always be found outside landscaping. He was always present for family and friends in need and was always a gracious host for events and to visiting family and friends. He had a love of motorcycles and racing - meticulously caring for his Triumph motorcycles.

He taught in high schools in NYC, Chicago and Tampa FL before shifting his focus to his family. After raising his children, he embarked on a new career in the medical field as a patient advocate and interpreter, spending his spare time reading medical texts for his new profession. He was passionate about his work of serving others and cared deeply about his patients, often rearranging his schedule to retain continuity for them.

Jose will be remembered most for his natural trait of showing empathy and encouragement to the people in his life. He had a calm and warm demeanor but an underlying fierceness of love for others that provided confidence and reassurance to everyone in his life that caring for each other is the highest calling in this life.