Eugene Marion Espy

Eugene Marion Espy of Atlanta, Georgia, formerly of Macon, Georgia, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 22, 2025.

Gene was born on April 14, 1927, in Cordele, Georgia, the son of the late Alto Lee Espy and Iona Peterman Espy. Gene became Cordele's first Eagle Scout in 1943 and graduated in 1944 as the Valedictorian and Senior Class President from Cordele High School. Gene left the Georgia Institute of Technology to proudly serve his country in the U.S. Navy. Returning after World War II, he played clarinet in its marching band and joined the Alpha Tao Omega fraternity. Gene became "a helluva engineer" as he graduated in 1950 with a B.S. in Industrial Management.

Gene embraced all the adventures that the outdoors offered. He built wooden powerboats, taught himself to water ski on Lake Blackshear, and sailed 300 miles solo down the Ocmulgee River to the Intracoastal Waterway. He told captivating stories of his 740-mile solo bicycle trip at age sixteen, hitch-hiking in college, and his motorcycle ride up Stone Mountain.

At age 24, Gene became recognized as the second thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail. Having desired "to see God through nature," Gene succeeded in his 123-day thru-hike on September 30, 1951, by reaching Mt. Katahdin where he knelt down and thanked God. He returned over the years to section hike. Gene delighted in visiting the Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Center to meet hikers and see his 1951 hiking equipment on display.

In 2011, Gene was honored as one of six inductees into the charter class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame. Although he wrote his autobiography, "The Trail of My Life," and often gave speeches and interviews, Gene always expressed interest in others' outdoor adventures. His enthusiasm for the AT will endure in so many hearts and hikes.

While Gene's early career included overseeing the building of shrimp trawlers and the manufacture of clothing, he spent thirty years as an aeronautical engineer at Robins Air Force Base.

Gene was a member of Highland Hills Baptist Church, the Macon Exchange Club, the Macon Lions Club, the Macon Touchdown Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, ALDHA, the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, and the Georgia Wilderness Society, which established The Gene Espy Award.

Gene was predeceased by his parents and his brother, John Lee Espy. He is survived by his devoted wife of 71 years, Eugenia, his daughters Ellen Holliday and Jane Gilsinger (Jim), his granddaughters Courtney Holliday (Brandon Abernathy) and Amanda Gilsinger, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will greet friends on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 10-11 AM at Highland Hills Baptist Church, 1370 Briarcliff Road, Macon, Georgia. A memorial service will follow at 11 AM with a reception afterwards. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Appalachian Trail Museum, the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, or Highland Hills Baptist Church.