Edwin Eugene McBrayer Jr. passed away peacefully at his home on March 20, 2026 in Milledgeville, Georgia. He was born on June 21, 1944, in Gainesville, Georgia and was the only child of Edwin Eugene McBrayer, Sr. and Lucille Royal McBrayer. Ed will be remembered as a devoted son and friend. He is survived by his beloved husband, Wendell York.

An Aerospace Engineering graduate from Georgia Tech, Ed worked for Martin-Marietta Corporation in Denver, Colorado and for NASA on the Skylab project supporting the astronauts with stowage management during space flight. While living in Colorado, he volunteered as Planning Commissioner for the city of Englewood where he participated in the design of the the South Platte River trail.

An avid cyclist, Ed returned to Atlanta in the late 1980’s where there were few sidewalks, no bike lanes, and no trails for enjoying his favorite pastime. When the 1996 Olympics was announced for Atlanta, Ed and a few of his friends realized that pedestrian and bicycle facilities for the Olympic venues were critically needed. In 1991, he was instrumental in forming the PATH Foundation which is a non-profit organization with the mission of connecting the Atlanta region with a network of trails for commuting and recreating.

Under Ed’s leadership, PATH built more than 340 miles of trails throughout the region. As Executive Director of PATH, he kept the organization lean and efficient by operating for many years with just three full-time staff members. He was one of the first non-profit leaders to develop a partnership between the public and private sectors. He persuaded cities and counties to allocate more than $200 million in public funds to build trails while helping his board of directors raise another $120 million from private sources. He inspired scores of additional jurisdictions nationwide to form public-private partnerships for the purpose of advancing trail construction.

Long-time PATH Board of Directors member Jim Kennedy, Chairman Emeritus of Cox Enterprises and Chairman of the James M. Cox Foundation, said: “Ed was a visionary leader who helped re-shape Atlanta. It was his keen foresight that created PATH Foundation and his hard work that made it a success. All the trails we have built are Ed’s trails. I was honored to work with him for the past 35 years.”

Ed served on the Georgia Transportation Enhancement Advisory panel, the Congestion, Mitigation, and Air Quality project selection committee as well as other statewide selection committees that guide distribution of federal and state funding to worthy trail projects. He helped many jurisdictions establish trail master plans and design specifications for trail development.

Ed was Treasurer of the DeKalb Development Authority for six years, an instrument rated pilot, a certified Scuba diver, a certified kick boxing instructor, and an active cycling instructor at LA Fitness in Atlanta. He taught group fitness continuously for 41 years. He also served as a mentor for Georgia Tech students through the Georgia Tech Student-Alumni organization.

Ed was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urban Land Institute for his work at PATH. The Trust for Public Land honored Ed as the Trailblazer for 2017, and he was named Visionary Leader of the year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2019.

Since his retirement in 2020, Ed continued to be active in his community. He volunteered for many non-profit organizations - including First Friday, Chard Wray Food Pantry, Café Central Soup Kitchen, and Northridge Christian Church in Milledgeville.

Under Ed’s leadership, PATH developed many trails in Atlanta and around the southeast - including the Silver Comet Trail, one of the longest paved trail systems in the U.S, the Island Trail system in St. Simons, GA, the Spanish Moss Trail in Beaufort S.C. and the Carrollton Greenbelt in Carrollton, Georgia.

Pete Pellegrini, who joined Ed in founding PATH and who worked alongside him for 35 years, said: “Ed’s passion for connecting people with trails changed the landscape of Atlanta and far beyond. His vision helped carve the face of Georgia by building pathways—bridges, tunnels, and miles of trails—that generations will walk, ride, and enjoy without ever knowing the loving and generous hands that built them. Those of us who knew Ed understood that his greatest work wasn’t measured in concrete or steel - it was measured in the lives he touched and the countless people like me who he quietly lifted-up and mentored along the way.”

At the family’s request, no services are planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to PATH Foundation, 1601 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30309 or www.PATHFoundation.org”   https://www.pathfoundation.org/donate-to-path

Care of Ed has been entrusted to In Their Honor Funeral and Cremation Providers.