[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 172 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF ANTHONY ``TONY'' ETCHISON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 2020

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life 
and legacy of Tony Etchison, an Indiana basketball legend, accomplished 
farmer, and loving family man. Born on April 14, 1972, in Tipton, 
Indiana, Tony was a life-long Hoosier. He dedicated much of his life to 
athletics and giving back to the youth teams in Indiana's Fifth 
Congressional District. While we mourn Tony's unexpected death, we are 
forever grateful for his endless victories and accomplishments, both on 
and off the basketball court.
  Tony graduated from Noblesville High School in 1991 where he began 
his standout career in basketball. As a four-year letter winner and 
leader of three consecutive sectional championship teams for 
Noblesville, Tony was chosen as the County Player of the Year for two 
seasons and was named All-Hamilton County four times. His countless 
accomplishments in high school led to a scholarship opportunity at 
Mercer University in Georgia where he continued his athletic career as 
a star basketball player.
  He led his team in the Trans American Conference in three-point 
shooting during his four-year collegiate career. Tony made Mercer 
University history by being the first player to earn Trans American 
All-Academic Team honors all four years he played. He completed his 
education and graduated in 1995, from Mercer's Stetson School of 
Business & Economics with a Bachelors of Arts in Business 
Administration and Finance. After completing his education Tony 
returned home and began work for the family business, Etchison Farms. 
It was also during this time in Tony's life that he began a twenty-two 
year career as an agent for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, serving many 
families in the Fifth District.
  As an adult, Tony's earlier athletic accomplishments did not go 
unnoticed. In 2009, he was inducted into the Hamilton County Basketball 
Hall of Fame. Later in 2016, he was inducted into the Noblesville High 
School Athletic Hall of Fame and honored by the Indiana Basketball Hall 
of Fame by being selected to be a teammate on their 2016 Silver 
Anniversary Team. In July of 2019, Tony was elected as a director of 
the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition to his basketball 
career, Tony loved to coach youth sports in the area.
  Tony's proudest role in life was being a husband and father. Tony and 
his wife, Toby, were blessed with three sons: John Phillip or ``JP'', a 
freshman at Indiana University, Gus, a junior at Hamilton Heights High 
School, and Tillman, an 8th grader at Hamilton Heights Middle School. 
One of Tony's greatest joys in life was having the opportunity to share 
with his sons his love of all sports, and the joy of competition.
  Tony died tragically on October 23, 2019, on the family farm in 
Arcadia, Indiana. Tony will be forever missed by his family, friends, 
colleagues, and the entire Indiana basketball community. On behalf of 
Indiana's Fifth Congressional District, I extend my deepest condolences 
to Tony's wife, Toby, their three sons, the entire Etchison family, and 
their friends, who mourn his passing.

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