East Lake Buchanan VFD mourns loss of longtime fire chief
Former East Lake Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Ray Tilley died on Friday, Dec. 19, at 62 years old. Tilley had served the small, rural department for 38 years total before retiring in October 2024. Courtesy photo
Former East Lake Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Ray Tilley died on Friday, Dec. 19, at 62 years old. Tilley had served the small, rural department for 38 years total before retiring in October 2024.
A celebration of life service for Tilley is planned for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at East Lake Fellowship Church, 13218 RR 2341in Burnet County.
“East Lake will never be the same. We have lost not only an incredible leader but a devoted husband, father, and a loyal friend to many,” reads a statement from East Lake Buchanan VFD issued on Dec. 19. “While his absence leaves a void that can never be filled, his legacy of service and honesty will live on in the department and the community he loved so dearly.”
Originally from Texas City, Tilley moved to Burnet County when he was 14 years old. He began volunteering with the East Lake Buchanan VFD in 1986, at 23 years old, and stayed with the department until he was 61.
He was instrumental in the formation of Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 5, which brought public funding to the volunteer department in 2009. Prior to the ESD’s formation, East Lake was totally reliant upon donations and fundraisers to function.
“I helped build (the department), but it’s not a one-man thing, it’s the whole group,” Tilley told DailyTrib in a 2024 interview following his retirement. “You might say I was the leader, but I couldn’t have done anything without the team.”