Joshua Kyle Pesina

Joshua Kyle Pesina, 36, of Machesney Park, passed away on April 18, 2026. Josh was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 20, 1990, to Henry and Teresa Pesina. Josh attended Harlem High School and enjoyed playing football. His immense talent earned him the nickname “Waterbug”, because once he started running there was no way you could catch him. Josh was a longtime employee with Great Lakes Pallet Company – rarely ever taking a day off for himself.

Josh’s personality ultimately revolved around humor. He was goofy and witty but also was respectful and knew his audience.

When Josh was a teenager, he discovered his love for music after asking his sister for basic guitar lessons. His parents Henry and Teresa got him his first red electric guitar and continued to watch his interest spark all these years later. Josh was an extremely dedicated, loyal, and beloved member of Aperture, and formerly Born into Exile. Josh found lifelong friends in the Rockford metal community, and a sense of brotherhood that would be hard to match. Although music was his true passion, he found great joy in drawing, gardening, gaming, comic books, anime, skateboarding, and fixing cars. Recently, he had been fixing his red Nissan X as a project. If you ever had a car problem, chances are Josh could fix it, as it came naturally to him.

Josh is survived by his parents, Henry and Teresa Pesina; siblings, Henry (Samantha) Pesina Jr., Lauren Pesina, and Cassidy Bishop; nieces and nephew, Hazel, Elizabeth, and David; grandmother, Hilda Valdez; paternal aunts and uncles, John, Hilda, Viola, Ralph, Alice, Rosa, Ruben, and Tito; maternal aunts and uncles, Jason, Vanessa, Sophia, Juan, Ana, and Jose; many cousins and extended family members; godmother, Ana Cruz; bandmates, Ginger, Elvis, and Zack; countless friends, and beloved cat, Angel.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jose and Maria Pesina, and Jacinto Rodriguez; great-grandmother, Teresa Mora; cats, Lance and Agatha.

The family encourages you to wear your favorite local band’s merchandise (or favorite band in general) to Josh’s services to celebrate his life.