Obituary. . .The Tennessean, Tuesday, August 4, 1998
Bill Bradshaw educator, Fannie Battle organizer, by Stephanie Miller, Staff Writer. . .
Funeral services for Bill Bradshaw, founder and first headmaster of Franklin Road Academy will be held at 10 a.m. today at Woodmont Christian Church. Bradshaw died Sunday. He was 65.  Graveside services will be at Woodlawn Cemetery. Woodlawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Born in Nashville, Bradshaw was a graduate of David Lipscomb University. He completed his graduate studies at Peabody College. Bradshaw was an educator here for twenty-five years. Before founding the academy, he was an administrator at several schools, including Oak Hill, Battleground Academy and Robertson Academy.
Bradshaw was an elder at Woodmont Christian Church, where he taught a class for fourteen years. For many years he organized caroling for the Fannie Battle Day Care Center.  Bradshaw was a co-founder of the Nashville Tennis Association and a coordinator of the city’s first chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  He served on the board of Samaritan House and was a former President of the Brentwood Exchange Club.
Bradshaw is survived by his wife, Virginia Cooper Bradshaw; three daughters, Mary Catherine Bradshaw, Virginia Lee Bradshaw, and Julia Gray Cole, all of Nashville; a sister, Julia Yarbrough of Memphis; a brother Jack Bradshaw, Nashville; and two grandsons, Jay and Luke Cole.
Instead of flowers contributions may be made to: Bill Bradshaw Scholarship Fund, Franklin Road Academy, 4700 Franklin Road, Nashville 37220. Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute, Bill Wilkerson Center, 1114 19th Ave. S. or Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson St., Nashville, 37203.
Founder of Franklin Road Academy, from the FRA website
Franklin Road Academy was founded in 1971 by Bill Bradshaw under charter with the First Christian Church. The property at that time consisted of a stone residence and a brick building which housed a church sanctuary and offices. By 1973, the Tennessee Department of Education had approved the school, and a year later FRA became a member of the Mid-South Association of Independent Schools.
Comments by Pam White
Billy Bradshaw’s first job out of college was at Otter Creek (If my memory serves, he was the first paid song leader). He and Virginia married while he was working here and started their family here. He and Virginia were active in the life and family of Otter Creek and were greatly loved both while here and as their life’s journey took them on.