For 35 years, Ed McBrayer’s passion for connecting people with trails reshaped the landscape of Atlanta and far beyond. His vision helped carve the face of Georgia by building pathways — bridges, tunnels, and miles of trails so that many generations will be able to walk, ride, and enjoy without ever knowing the loving and generous hands that built them.

But 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. I remembered Ed sharing the guidance and wisdom from our PATH Board member, Jim Kennedy, who encouraged Ed to make others feel like they have value and purpose.  These words of wisdom guided Ed to create great partnerships and friendships throughout his career at PATH.

When I met Ed as a young man fresh out of high school, I thought I was simply being offered a construction job. What I didn’t realize was that I was being given a mentor, a father figure, and eventually, the closest friend I would ever have. Ed taught me how to build homes and trails, but he also taught me how to connect to others and build a life with integrity, humility, grit and heart. 

I was fortunate to be one of the three who helped start the PATH Foundation from the ground up. Side by side, Ed and I spent decades shaping Georgia’s recreational landscape, but the truth is, Ed shaped me just as much. He believed in me long before I believed in myself. He guided me, challenged me, and stood by me through every season of life.  To others, Ed was a visionary, a leader, and a steady presence who inspired trust. To me, he was a part of my family. His influence will live on not only in the trails he created, but in the countless people he quietly lifted and mentored along the way.

I hope we all remember Ed McBrayer as the humble soul he was — someone who always went the extra mile, not for recognition, but because helping others was simply who he was. His legacy is not just in the trail networks he built but in the lives he changed along the way.

Editor’s Note: The author of this piece, Pete Pellegrini, was the late Ed McBrayer’s close friend and colleague for decades and a founder of the PATH Foundation.

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