Frances Elizabeth Bradley was born at home to Dewey and Vela Bradley on September 9, 1932, near Enterprise, Alabama. The oldest of 5 children, she learned at an early age there was work to be done and everyone participated. She had no problem working whether in the field beside her dad or in the house helping her mom. She longed to be old enough to go to school. She loved school and was the first in her family to graduate from High School.

In 1950, at the age of 18, Fran married Charles Kilpatrick and over the next few years they grew their family to five with three beautiful daughters. Charlyne and Debbie were born in Enterprise. Kay was born after the family moved to Pensacola in 1954 where Charlie got a job as a barber at NAS and Fran went to work at the Warrington Bank in 1955. Fran was not going to work at the bank for long. In 1958, she opened her first dress shop, Fran’s Fashion Shop, in a small space on the corner of Navy Blvd and Gulf Beach Hwy. In 1960, with her partner Peggy Fritz, she opened Fran & Peg across Navy Blvd from her first store. Peggy left in 1962 and Fran put the store on the map with her wonderful staff of Pensacola’s finest “sales ladies” as they were called back then. Her forward-thinking ideas for a Teen Board and fashion shows that were second to none made Fran & Peg “the place” for women to shop for sure. As if running her own business wasn’t enough, she came home from work one afternoon to pick up something on her way to yet another meeting and heard daughter Debbie playing the piano and singing “Downtown” while sister Charlyne and friend Sally harmonized with back up and “The Sandpipers” were born. The girls worked up songs to play at many of her fashion shows and gained in popularity and exposure until a disc jockey, Tom Smith, heard them and brought Joe Spadaro owner of the Sahara Club in Warrington to check them out. He had to have them on Friday and Saturday night, 3 shows a night. None other than Duane Allman was the leader of the band booked in the club for 2 weeks and well the rest is Pensacola history. Travel to New York, a record deal, more travel with the Allman Joys to many fraternities and clubs around the Southeast followed. In 1966 Fran moved the store to the corner of 9th Ave and Fairfield Drive. The family moved to Cordova Park. Life was good and very busy. Fran and Charlie opened a teen club, The Electric Experience, in 1968 on Fairfield Dr. So much to tell about Fran, and her Kilpatrick years. Fran and Charlie divorced in 1970. After a brief second marriage and death of her husband, and many other fashion related jobs later, Fran met Bob Thornton in 1974. At the time, she owned a popular boutique on 9th Ave called Faces. Dr. Thornton was a Professor at UWF and swept Fran off her feet and woke up the desire in her for higher education that had always been in her heart of hearts. Fran went back to college at PJC in 1979 and graduated with her Associate of Arts degree in 1981 with almost straight A’s. She immediately began working on her bachelor’s degree at UWF and graduated in 1983 with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She was listed in the Who’s Who of American College Students. She was so proud of this accomplishment. Nothing could slow her down and she graduated from UWF in 1989 with her Master of Education Educational Leadership/Curriculum and Instruction Degree. She worked for many years at UWF as an Adjunct Instructor and later in life after working as a caregiver with several families, she was the most called upon substitute teacher in Escambia County because she would always say “yes.” Fran spent the last few years of her life studying anything to do with health and doing healthy things. She was always researching and reading and of course studying her Bible. Everyone who knew Fran, loved Fran. There was nothing she wouldn’t do if anyone reached out for help. My friends all loved to come to my house and hang out with her over the years. Many friends worked for her in one of her stores. There was never a dull moment around her.

She is preceded in death by her father and mother, Dewey and Vela Bradley, her brother, Bobby Ray Bradley, her sister, Jo Ann Trawick and her daughter, Deborah (Kilpatrick) Thornton along with many other cherished family members. She is survived by her daughters, Charlyne Kilpatrick and Karly (Katrina) Richey (Jim), her grandsons Barry Pate, Jr., (Nikki) and Michael Caudle, her brother James Bradley, her sister Betty Suggs and many precious Nieces and Nephews and great and great great Nieces and Nephews.

Visitation will be held from 5:30 p.m. until the Celebration of Life Service begins at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Vitas Healthcare Hospice, your church or favorite charity.