Henry E. "Buck" Autrey

Henry E. “Buck” Autrey passed away peacefully on September 8th. 2026 at the age of 93. He was surrounded by four generations of his loving family at his home in Jacksonville, Florida. Born on October 20th, 1932, in Tallahassee, Florida to Edgar and Pet Autrey. He moved to Jacksonville in 1950 after marrying the love of his life, Betty Maxine White. On June 9th of this year, they celebrated 76 years of marriage with family members at The Florida Yacht Club.

His life presents a remarkable tale of success that represents the “American Dream” in its finest form. Despite leaving Florida Junior High School in Tallahassee as a 15-year-old basketball letterman, he went on to achieve greater success than his educators and family could have ever predicted. At the age of 18, he began his working career with Miller Electric Company after marrying the 17-year-old daughter of a job foreman at the company, Leroy “Roy” White. Roy and his wife Veda White told him that “If he wanted to marry their daughter, he would have to move to Jacksonville and get a real job! “

He began his work life as an electrical lineman’s apprentice digging ditches and climbing power poles for Miller Electric Company. Not long after graduating from the Electrical Apprenticeship Training Program as an “Outstanding Apprentice” in 1953, he received a Florida Vocational Teaching Certificate and began teaching the same classes at the training institute in Jacksonville. He diligently studied at night after work and in 1957 he completed an electrical engineering curriculum with the ICS International Correspondence School based in Scranton Pennsylvania. He joined the office staff at Miller Electric in 1958 and was named Vice President 1961, and President & CEO in 1966.

Buck Autrey continuously ascended the ranks in the electrical industry, becoming the local Apprenticeship Training Director in 1958; president of the Master Electrician’s Association and President of the local chapter of the National Electrical Contractor’s Association (NECA) in 1966. He went on to become NECA’s National Vice President and led the association as National President from 1980 to 1986.

Miller Electric Company was founded in 1928 by Henry Miller. Following Mr. Miller’s death, Autrey’s partnership with the founder’s daughter, Jane M. Wynn, began in 1966. His leadership of the company was tasked with tackling severely diminished revenue and overwhelming debt. He steadily and successfully grew the company of 50 workers into a national industry giant with over 5000 employees, working throughout the United States.

He created a culture of success_ not just for the company, but for hundreds of families that filled the employment ranks at Miller Electric. Up and down the line from the warehouse and clerical staff to the management and executive ranks, he fostered personal and financial success for everyone at the company.

He left huge footprints in Jacksonville with his support for dozens of organizations; including the North Florida Boy Scouts, The Rotary Club of Jacksonville, Ronald McDonald House, Vision Is Priceless, Greater Jacksonville USO, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, and many more. As a “Bull Gator” he was a regular attendee and supporter of the Florida Gators. You will find the Company Name on NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars Miller Electric Practice Facility.

Buck Autrey and his crew on the “Bet-A-Buc” sportfishing yacht have an epic history of winning marlin fishing tournaments. He was a past winner of the Bahamas Billfish Series and multiple Blue Water Championships in St. Augustine, Florida. He chaired the El Pescado Grande fishing tournament and was recognized as “Boat of the Year” by the N.E. Florida Marlin Association. His regular crew included Chuck Stowe, Ben Robinson, and his grandson Daniel Brown. Dan continues his grandfather’s legacy winning tournaments in his own sportfishing yacht the “Half -A – Buc”.

Buck and his wife were members of the Florida Yacht Club, Timuquana Country Club, and a founding member of the River Club. He was a 32nd Degree Mason in the Jacksonville Scottish Rite, Morocco Shrine Temple, and Florida Jesters.

Buck Autrey was a devoted family man and dearly loved his wife Betty and their four children, Susan Walden (Ray), Ron Autrey (Hilah), Sandy Livingston (Buz), and Tom Autrey (Claire), and his nine grandchildren – Gray, Jacquelyn, Andrew, Henry, Daniel, Heather, Eric, Hailey, and Holley - and fifteen great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Legacy Lodge, 4801 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, Fl 32207, on September 29, 2026, at 11:00 with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Northeast Florida Boy Scouts. https://www.nfcscouting.org/aboutus ,

Jacksonville USO, and Community Hospice.