April 14, 1972 – October 23, 2019
Anthony A. “Tony” Etchison, 47, died in a farming accident Wednesday evening, October 23, 2019 on the family farm in Arcadia. He was well-known as a loving husband, father and brother, as well as an outstanding farmer, business professional, friend and athlete. Born April 14, 1972, to Phil and Lavonne (Morris) Etchison in Tipton, he married his high school sweetheart Toby Stretch in Noblesville on June 21, 1997. She survives.
Tony was a 1991 Noblesville High School graduate and basketball standout. A four-year letter winner in basketball, he was a member of the 1989, 1990 and 1991 sectional championship teams. He was named All-Hamilton County four times and was the County Player of the Year two seasons. Upon graduation, he accepted a basketball scholarship to Mercer University in Macon, Ga., where he led the Trans American Conference in three-point shooting during his four-year playing career. Tony was the first basketball player in school history to earn Trans American All-Academic Team honors all four years he played. He graduated from Mercer’s Stetson School of Business & Economics in 1995 with a BA in Business Administration and Finance.
After completing his playing career at Mercer, he excitedly returned home to Indiana to farm for Etchison Farms. Although farming was a passion of Tony’s, he also used his Mercer education to build a successful 22-year career as an agent for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.
In 2009, Tony was selected as a member of the Hamilton County Basketball Hall of Fame. Noblesville High School inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2016. In the same year the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame honored Tony by selecting him to their 2016 Silver Anniversary Team. More recently he had been elected as a Director of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in July 2019. One of the hobbies he enjoyed the most was coaching his sons and area youth in sports. He greatly impacted all the lives that he touched.
Tony’s greatest joy was being the husband of Toby and the father of their three sons: John Phillip “JP”, a freshman at Indiana University, Gus, a junior at Hamilton Heights High School, and Tillman, an eighth grader at Hamilton Heights Middle School. In addition to his children, survivors include his parents, Phil and Lavonne; sister, Roxanna (Cam) Perkins; and brothers, Tim (Stephanie) Etchison and Eric Etchison. He was blessed with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Vallie and Gertrude Etchison, and Clem and Ruth Morris.
Services will be held on Saturday, November 2 in the historic gymnasium at Hamilton Heights Middle School in Arcadia. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a memorial service at 3 p.m. Arrangements have been entrusted to Randall and Roberts Funeral Homes.
In lieu of flowers, a Tony Etchison Memorial Fund was set up and can be donated to at gofundme.com/f/tony-etchison-memorial-fund.
Also in his honor, the Tony Etchison Foundation will be launched soon to help Youth Assistance Programs in Hamilton County and throughout the United States.
Online condolences can be left on Tony’s memorial tribute at randallroberts.com.
Arrangements
Calling: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Nov. 2
Service: 3 p.m., Nov. 2
Location: Hamilton Heights Middle School
Condolences: randallroberts.com