J Scott Etchison

DALLAS, TX. – J Scott Etchison (1946-2023) If you ever had the chance to visit the Etchison home, you’ve seen the extravagant paintings on the walls. Their home in Dallas is beautifully decorated with the artwork of Scott Etchison and his father, Frank Ashley. If you took a moment to closely examine one of these artistic pieces, you would have imagined the hours and patience such tedious detail would have required. His patience is what made Scott an excellent artist, a compassionate counselor, and an excellent leader – he was never in a rush. 

On Saturday, the 5th of August 2023, J Scott Etchison left his life on earth, not defeated by cancer, but victorious in Christ, his Savior and Lord whom he had accepted in his early twenties. 

Scott was born on May 5, 1946, in chilly Mankato, Minnesota. After his father moved to New York, his family moved to humid Brownsville, Texas, when he was eight years old. His mom, Margaret, married Alfred Etchison who adopted Scott and his brother, Michael, and raised Scott to be an achiever in all he did: academia, football, and ultimately family counseling.   

Scott attended Brownsville High School. Upon graduating, he received multiple football scholarships that landed him at Trinity University in San Antonio leaving his high school romance behind… or so he thought. He eventually graduated from The University of Texas in Austin and later received higher degrees in education and in counseling from the University of Massachusetts, Santa Clara University, and The Gestalt Institute. Scott was quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19-20) making him a compassionate mental health professional. His psychotherapy training led him to be director of the Redwood House, a halfway house in Redwood, California, for fifteen years. He later returned to Brownsville to care for his mom and worked at the Rio Grande State Center for Mental Health. 

In terms of his love life, Scott was not in a rush. When he attended his 30th high school reunion, his patience paid off, and he reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Judy. He was Brownsville High’s star running back and had crowned her homecoming queen thirty years earlier. When the two were dating the second time around, Scott surprised Judy with a wood carving from a picture they had taken of them in high school and a painting from her favorite Bible story, Noah’s Ark. Married in 1995, he moved to Dallas where he continued providing counseling at the Child and Family Guidance Center. He later served as Case manager for Value Options serving Southwestern Bell and UPS employees with mental disorders. 

After retirement, he and his wife spent time traveling and celebrating holidays with the family he married into and cherished. Scott was kind-hearted and quick-witted and could be seen doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, playing bridge, painting, as well as carving or building in his workshop. He and his wife were regular attendees at Gateway Church in Dallas. 

Scott was not a man of many words. However, he took the time to show others he cared in unique ways that words cannot describe. Each time a new grandchild was born, he added a carving of the new family member to a Noah’s ark carving sitting in their living room. When his granddaughter started competing in a new track event, he built a hurdle for her to practice. For another granddaughter, he built a balance beam to practice her gymnastics. He even carved the wedding topper on his and Judy’s wedding cake, among many other artistic pieces he created for family members. 

Scott is survived by his wife, Judy; his stepdaughters and their husbands, Tiffany Sanchez Gililland and husband, Todd, and Kimberly “Kippin” Sanchez and husband, Matt Schelp; his beloved grandchildren Riley, Jack, Macy, Josh, Reese, and Hayden; his sister-in-law, Mary Lou; and his niece and nephew, Emily and William. He was preceded in death by his mother and brother. His family holds on to the handcrafted tokens he has left them as a reminder of his love and encouragement – ultimately overflowing from the love that the Lord had shown him.  

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at half past one o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 11th of August 2023 at Vineyard Church, 1200 Mackintosh Drive, Brownsville, Texas 78521. A Graveside Service will follow at three o’clock in the afternoon at Buena Vista Burial Park, 5 McDavitt Boulevard, Brownsville.  

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at eleven o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 19th of August 2023 at the Old Frankford Church, 17400 Muirfield Drive, Dallas. A reception will follow the service.

In lieu of floral arrangements and customary remembrances, donations in his memory can be made to Vineyard Church, www.vineyardbrownsville.com, or to Union Gospel Mission, www.ugmdallas.org.

Memories of Scott may be shared at www.darlingmouser.com. 

Personalized funeral arrangements directed by Steven R. Hieu Bailey and Staff have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home at 945 Palm Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas 78520, (956) 546-7111.