Colin Frans Brady

1958 - 2025

Colin Frans Brady

August 22, 1958 - August 8, 2025

Colin Frans Brady, 66, is off on his final cruise, let the streamers fly!

Colin passed after a sudden bout with cancer on August 8, 2025.

Colin was born in Hickory on August 22, 1958, the second child of his late parents William P. and Margaret Frans Brady. Growing up, he was nicknamed "Tadpole" for his swimming skills and big ears. Later in life, he was known to his nieces and nephews as "Uncle Frog" or "Uncle Bubba." To his friends, he was just "Brady."

Colin graduated from North State Academy in 1977 and attended Lees-McRae College for a year. He then went to work full-time for the family business, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Hickory, which was started by his grandfather L.P. Frans in 1925. Colin was part of its 100th birthday celebration in June before he became sick.

Colin worked at the Spruce Pine plant for about three years and then moved back down the mountain to Hickory, working in various positions, including tallying daily sales from the legion of Pepsi trucks that served several counties. He was very good at numbers and worked in the office for about 35 years before retiring. The work schedule also fit well with his playtime.

Colin was a scratch golfer from a young age, growing up across the street from holes #1 and 2 at Lake Hickory Country Club. He practiced many evenings after the course closed and perfected a crazy hook shot that was all his own. As an adult he moved to a house at the Catawba Springs course and drove to his rounds in his Duke royal blue golf cart.

He was a life-long fan of the Blue Devils, siding with his mother, a Duke graduate, and against his father, brother and sister, all UNC system grads. During rivalry games, the sparks flew 4,000 miles via texts and phone calls with his brother in Alaska.

Colin was also a space travel nut, known to reach out to friends about launch dates and sometimes going to Hilton Head or Cape Canaveral to see a night launch up close. Ironically, he died on the same day as James Lovell, the Apollo 13 commander. Imagine Colin's surprise as he accompanied one of his space heroes through the Pearly Gates.

More than anything, except maybe his attachment to his dogs Brandy (RIP) and Mindy, was his love of cruising. Colin was a member of Royal Caribbean's Pinnacle Club, its highest-level customer, with all the perks. He had logged 92 cruises in about 30 years and was hoping to make it to 100. Since his retirement from Pepsi, he was going on cruises six times a year, usually teaming up with friends he had met at sea or bringing along his tight group of friends from Hickory. He even brought a group with him to Alaska to drop in on his brother in 2022.

His usual destination was the Caribbean, and he had an 8-day cruise booked to start August 8, but had to cancel just a couple weeks before when he knew he was too sick to go.

The suddenness of Colin's decline from aggressive lung cancer shocked family and friends. The family would like to thank Tim Gaines, Sandy Sherrill Houston, Tim Moody, Beverly Rose, Theresa Lail, Rick Travis, Graham Hunsucker, Michelle Bumgarner, Johnny Slater, and Terry Love for helping out with Colin in his time of need. The family is also grateful for the caring nurses, doctors and staff at Carolina Caring Catawba Valley Hospice House during his short stay.

Colin is survived by: his companion, Mindy; brother, William J. "Jeff" Brady (Dorothy) of Skagway, Alaska; sister, Jean Brady Patton (Moore) of Hickory; nieces, Annie Brady of Bozeman, MT, Kathryn Vijh (Adit) of London, England, Lauren Broyles (Chris) of Hickory, and Hillery Lesh (Logan) of Skagway, AK; nephews Danny Brady and Scott Lesh of Skagway; three grand nephews; one grand niece; his former wives Beverly Rose and Tonya Hefner; many cousins in the Frans-Teeter-Brady family tree; and the entire Pepsi family from Hickory to Bryson City.

A graveside service with family and close friends, officiated by the Rev. Earle Fincher, will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 14 at Oakwood Cemetery, where his cremains will be interred beside his parents. A reception will follow at Rule Italian Prime & Pasta (formerly Café Rule). In the spirit of all that was Colin, please wear island, cruising or golf attire.

The family asks that memorials in Colin's name be made to: the Jimmy V Foundation (donate.v.org), the Margaret Frans Brady Fund, c/o Juneau Community Foundation, 350 N. Franklin St, Suite 4, Juneau, AK 99801 (juneaucf.org); the Humane Society of Catawba County (catawbahumane.org); or the Carolina Caring Foundation, 3975 Robinson Road, Newton, NC 28658.