Sam Friedman, a biking enthusiast and one of PATH Foundation’s founding board members, died Wednesday.
Friedman worked in various roles on the PATH board of directors since 1991, until transitioning to Emeritus Chair in 2021. He died at the age of 83 at his home on Saint Simons Island, about 90 miles south of Savannah.
“Most of us know that Sam was instrumental in the formation of the PATH Foundation. When PATH was nothing more than a vision,” PATH executive director Greta deMayo said in a statement.
PATH Foundation, the nonprofit organization that uses allocated funds and private donations to build trails across metro Atlanta and Georgia, was founded by “cycling buddies” Ed McBrayer, Pete Pellegrini and Maxine Rock. The trio came to the conclusion that Atlanta needed more trails for biking and they decided to pursue the idea for use during the 1996 Olympics, the organization’s website states.
Around summertime in 1991, Friedman and his friends were returning from a West Coast biking trip. The countless off-road trails they enjoyed were nowhere to be found back home in Atlanta, so they began to discuss ways they could help in making PATH a reality, according to the website.
Friedman is credited with building and chairing the board of directors.
“Equally as important, Sam was a friend and mentor and passed along critical knowledge on how to create and run a successful non-profit in Atlanta,” deMayo said, adding that “He was a delight to work with and will always be remembered as one who tried and succeeded to have a positive impact on the city of Atlanta and its citizens.”
By 1993, the first trail was built in southwest Atlanta, the one-mile Lionel Hampton Trail that runs through a mature forest and parkland. PATH now has over 300 miles of trails throughout Georgia.
A memorial service for Friedman will be held Jan. 17. The family has not released information on the venue or time.
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