John Richard Brach

John Richard Brach, 80, of Dunwoody, GA, passed away on May 28 after a brief illness surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Rockville Center, NY on August 18, 1941 to the late Walter John Brach and Yvonne LeClair Brach. He grew up in Lynbrook, NY, and graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering. After graduating he served in the U.S. Army in the Army Corps of Engineers at Ft. Belvoir where he taught construction management. During this time he met his beloved wife, Donna, to whom he was married for 54 years.

Early in his career John worked on the transit systems in Boston and Washington, D.C. before moving to Atlanta in 1974 to help develop a brand-new subway line. He spent the majority of his career as a project engineer and later as Director of Engineering at Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) before retiring in 1998.

In his retirement John continued to consult for engineering firms and taught project management courses throughout the country. He enjoyed numerous hobbies including woodworking and other projects in his basement workshop. He loved all things tools and couldn’t pass up a good garage sale with them. He also loved canoeing, fishing on the Chattahoochee River, gardening, and staying active in the Knights of Columbus. He was a founding member of All Saints Catholic Church since 1977 where he was an active parishioner until his death.

Above all, John loved spending time with his family. Surviving John are his loving wife Donna, his three children: son Brian Brach (Tina) of Columbus, GA, daughter Suzanne Hinton (Toby), of Suwanee, GA, daughter Abby Spinello of Columbus, GA; sister Lois Nagy of Houston, TX, niece Yvonne Nagy (Ciarinn) and his five grandchildren: Cameron Hinton, Garrett Hinton, Michael Spinello, Devon Brach, and Grace Spinello.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Catholic Center at Georgia Tech, http:/www.gtcatholic.org/giving/ways-to-give/