When you talk about the bedrock of a small town like Raeford, you aren't usually talking about politicians or celebrities. You're talking about the people who show up when the sirens go off at 3:00 AM. In Hoke County, Chad Autry Raeford NC was one of those names that just meant reliability. He wasn't just a face in the crowd; he was a Fire Captain, a paramedic, a business owner, and honestly, the kind of guy who’d spend his entire Saturday at a high school baseball field just to watch his son play.
Sadly, the community lost him recently. Kenneth Chad Autry passed away in April 2025 at the age of 48. It hit the local area hard. You don't replace someone who spent decades jumping between fire departments and EMS units while simultaneously running local businesses.
A Career Built on Service and Sirens
Chad's life in public service started early. Like, really early. He was a junior firefighter at Stoney Point before most people his age even had a driver's license. He eventually climbed the ranks to Assistant Fire Chief there and later put in time at Rockfish Fire Department. By the time he passed, he was the Fire Captain at Puppy Creek Fire Department in Raeford.
But it wasn't just about fighting fires. In 2012, he decided to level up and became a paramedic. If you lived in Hoke or Cumberland County and had a medical emergency over the last decade, there’s a decent chance Chad was one of the guys on the ambulance. He worked with Hoke County EMS, Cumberland County EMS, and Lumberton Rescue.
It’s a lot. Most people burn out doing just one of those jobs. Chad seemed to thrive on it. He had this specific kind of energy where he could handle a high-stress emergency call and then pivot straight back to his "normal" life without missing a beat.
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The Business Side of the Autry Name
Outside of the uniform, Chad was deep into the local business scene. Raeford and the surrounding Fayetteville area are built on family enterprises, and he was a big part of that. He served as the Vice President of Autry Grading, Inc. and ran his own shop, 3rd Generation Ventures, LLC.
He was also tied into the Eden and Autry Farming Operation. If you know anything about Raeford, you know that grading and farming aren't "desk jobs." It’s dirty, physical work. It’s the kind of career where your reputation is only as good as the last job you finished. People trusted him because he actually showed up and did what he said he was going to do.
What Most People Didn't See
Life wasn't all sirens and business meetings. Honestly, if you wanted to find Chad on his day off, you had to look in two places: the coast or a baseball diamond. He was a huge fan of saltwater sport fishing. There’s something about being out on the water that probably balanced out the chaos of being a fire captain.
But his real obsession? His son, Owen.
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You’ve probably seen parents who go to games, and then you’ve seen the "super-fans." Chad was the latter. From the very first T-ball games all the way through Owen’s senior year of high school, he didn't miss. He was that dad in the stands who was essentially his son’s personal cheerleading squad. For a guy with a resume as long as his, he clearly knew that his role as a father was the most important title he ever held.
Why Chad Autry Still Matters to Raeford
It's easy to look at a list of achievements and see a successful person. But in a place like Raeford, people matter because of the "gap" they leave behind. When a Fire Captain who has been serving since his teens passes away, there’s a massive hole in the institutional knowledge of the department.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Kristie Autry, and his stepfather, Lawrence Gallagher. His family tree is rooted deep in North Carolina soil. He leaves behind his mother Paula, his father Kenneth, his son Owen, and his daughter Olivia.
People who knew him—like the friends who grew up with him at Douglas Byrd Senior High—remember him as a "goofball" who was always ready to "talk some smack" but would give you the shirt off his back. That's a rare combo. Usually, you get the serious professional or the funny guy. Chad was both.
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Actionable Takeaways from Chad’s Legacy
If we can learn anything from how Chad Autry lived in Raeford, it’s basically these three things:
- Start Early, Stay Committed: He didn't wait until he was "ready" to serve. He started as a junior firefighter and stayed in the service for thirty years.
- Diversify Your Skills: He wasn't just a fireman; he was a paramedic and a business owner. He made himself useful in multiple ways.
- Prioritize the People, Not the Stats: Despite the ranks and titles, his neighbors remember him for being at those baseball games and being a "devoted father."
His life serves as a pretty solid blueprint for how to be a "pillar" of a community without needing a spotlight. He was just a guy from Raeford who did the work.
What to do next if you're local to Raeford:
- Consider supporting local volunteer fire departments like Puppy Creek or Stoney Point.
- Check in on the Hoke County EMS community; they lost a long-term brother.
- If you're looking to honor his memory, local youth baseball programs are always looking for mentors who show up with the same energy Chad did.