A former president of the Sumter Landing Bicycle Club died June 27 during a trip to Denali National Park in Alaska.
A memorial service for Ed Brandt will be held at 4 p.m. July 17 at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
It is said that one of the greatest passions in his life was bicycling, especially riding a tandem with his wife, Cindy. In 1989, Brandt took a Boy Scout Troop, including his son, on a nearly 3,000-mile bicycle tour across the country. He was a co-founder of Bikes USA (formerly The Bicycle Exchange) and served as president of both Potomac Pedalers in the Washington D.C. area and Sumter Landing Bike Club in The Villages.
An autopsy showed that Brandt died of a dissecting aortic aneurysm.
“The bleeding was so sudden and extensive that he went into shock almost immediately and did not suffer,” said Dr. Gabe Mirkin, a Villager and fellow bicyclist.
He added that is unlikely that Brandt could have been saved even if it had not happened in a remote forest in Alaska
“He was a top bicycle rider in spectacular shape, riding more than 150 miles a week, much of it at up to 20 miles per hour,” Mirkin added.
Brandt is survived by his wife, Cindy; his children, Jason and Sadie; his brothers, Phil and Bob; his grandchildren, nephews, and many, many close friends and relatives.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the National Park Foundation which supports the National Parks.