VALDOSTA —
Many Valdostans will remember Gill Autrey as Valdosta’s one-time mayor, but for more than a decade he’s lived in Apalachicola where he’s become a boat captain and now the author of a new book.
On Monday evening, Autrey returns to Valdosta to sign his book, “Gone with the Tides and Other Southern Stories.” He wrote the stories and his wife, Lane, took the book’s photos.
“The stories are all true with a little poetic license here and there, some were written for a monthly paper, The St. George Island Times, no longer in publication,” Autrey says. “Others were written over a period of years. I would call them reflections.”
Autrey has led a life that seems too busy for reflection but one that would give much to reflect upon.
Autrey served in Vietnam where Autrey served as a Marine, flying CH-53 Sikorsky helicopters, rising to the rank of captain.
He has worked in banking, securities, and tomato farming. From 1986-88, Autrey served as Valdosta’s mayor. He was instrumental in saving Moody Air Force Base in the early 1990s, when the base faced possible closure.
Yet, by the late 1990s, he was ready for a dramatic change in his life.
“My days in Valdosta are very special to me, but after some health problems and personal reversals, I decided a different lifestyle might be in order for my long term well being,” Autrey says. “I have been coming to the Apalachicola area since 1973 and always loved the water, so my Mother and I decided to pack up and move down here in August of 1998.”
Sadly, the only times he usually returns to Valdosta is for funerals, “and that's getting way too often, but many of my friends come visit and we play music and fish.”
Arriving in 1998, Autrey worked in real estate. As the market went south, he looked for another way to make a living. Used to living a versatile life, he set his eye upon the sea.
“I've been on the water most of my life and have always wanted to get my captain’s license so it was a natural for me,” Autrey says. “‘Lily’ is a 28-foot Adventure Craft houseboat with a sun deck on top. I do river cruises on the Apalachicola River and into the back waters, a 246,000-acre estuarine preserve that protects the Apalachicola Bay, the most productive estuary in the Northern Hemisphere. I take families, children, pets, etc., and we just go exploring.”
He has been a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain for more than four years. Lily is his 18th boat.
His adventures and his political life prepared him to write a book.
“When I was in public life, I was often asked to speak. I more often told stories rather than making a typical political speech,” Autrey says. “I've been writing some down over the last several years. Some folks are already asking for the next book. I have it in my head and I expect it will be out some time in the next year.”
In terms of life, Gill Autrey believes in living it to the fullest, and offers some advice for those seeking something different or something more.
“First decide what it is they would rather be doing and if it’s their passion they have to figure out how to give up what is now giving them security and weigh everything out,” Autrey says. “It’s not for everyone. I’ve just always thought life was an adventure and I can’t wait to turn the next page. I don’t look back.”
Capt. Gill Autrey will sign his book, “Gone with the Tides and Other Southern Stories,” 5-7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, 527 N. Patterson St. More information: Call (229) 247-2787; or visit http://www.turnercenter.org/
Local News
Related Photos
-
Shown are Gill and Lane Autrey.
-
'Gone with the Tides and Other Southern Stories'
Discussion
Former Valdosta mayor returns for book signing
- Local News
-
-
Easter Seals benefit Thursday
Easter Seals Southern Georgia will be hosting “Sweet Charity: Desserts for a Cause” Thursday at Mathis Auditorium. The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. and will include several local restaurants serving dessert as well as a silent auction.
-
Dollar General robbed at gunpoint
A customer and two employees were unharmed during a Sunday evening robbery as two masked men demanded cash from registers and the business’ safe as the Dollar General on Bemiss Road prepared to close at around 11:30 p.m., according to reports from the Valdosta Police Department.
-
Overpass work causes detours
All vehicles which are not making a delivery in the immediate vicinity of the new overpass will have to find alternate routes immediately.
-
Crossing guard keeping kids safe
Meet Merita Williams, crossing guard.
-
Juneteenth’s coming
Held in just as high a regard as the celebration of our country’s independence to many, the county’s annual Juneteenth dinner returns this Tuesday at 7 p.m. for its 21st year and will offer citizens of all races with a central point to celebrate human rights.
-
A soldier called preacher
In Vietnam, Wesley Harrell spread the Lord’s word among his fellow soldiers. He spoke of God often though few seemed to listen until they encountered war’s sudden death.
-
History on the move
In the right hands, a divided house can again mount a sound foundation and settle into a new era, as proved on Saturday when the 100 Black Men of Valdosta unveiled a transplanted house that’ll likely serve as their headquarters at its Martin Luther King Jr. Drive location.
-
Beach Safety: Keeping safe with fun in the sun
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second story in a weekly series on summer safety.
-
Ribbon cutting held for Joan Bailey Center
The Community Depot has opened the doors of its newest non-profit retail center, which was dedicated Friday to and named in honor of former Valdosta State University First Lady Joan Bailey.
-
Kendrick Johnson’s body exhumed
The family of a deceased Lowndes High School student had his body exhumed Friday morning from Sunset Hills Cemetery as relatives continue the process of acquiring a second autopsy.
- More Local News Headlines
-
