In Memoriam

A service celebrating Ethington's life will be held today at 9 a.m. at the NAS Jacksonville All Saints Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Todd Ethington Memorial Fund, c/o VyStar Credit Union, P.O. Box 45085, Jacksonville, FL, 32232-5085.

Ethington was born Oct. 12, 1968, in Kansas City, Mo., growing up in Independence, Mo. and graduated from William Chrisman High School in 1987, where he excelled in basketball. He enlisted in the United States Navy Nov. 21, 1988 and attended Basic Military Training at Recruit Training Center, Orlando. During his 19 years of faithful and loyal service, he accumulated more than 5,924 mishap-free flight hours and attended more than 100 naval and civilian courses. Ethington served as an aviation warfare systems operator on board Navy P-3 Orion aircraft flying missions in support of the Cold War, Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Kosovo, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

He is survived by his parents, Harold and Joan Ethington of Independence, Mo.; sister, Nikki Neely, her daughter, Raelee and her twins to be born later this year; sister, Kelly Ethington and her daughter, Morgan Headquist of Blue Springs, Mo. and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and other extended family members too numerous to mention. Online condolences may be expressed at www.speakerchapel.com.