Frances “Fran” Nixon Warlick, the mother of former Lady Vols basketball coach Holly Warlick, died on Monday. She was 95.
Fran Warlick was born in South Carolina before she moved to Knoxville in 1963. She worked in the hotel business in Knoxville for more than 50 years and left a legacy of “hard work, loyalty, and a warm welcome to everyone she met.”
“Fran loved her family fiercely and was equally passionate about her South Carolina roots,” her obituary read. “Known for her sass and quick wit, Fran had a talent for telling jokes — often not clean ones — and she never missed a chance to make someone laugh, whether they wanted to or not.”
Fran Warlick was also involved with Habitat for Humanity for five years and a member of St. Mark United Methodist Church.
Fran Warlick was a lifelong Lady Vols fan and was never shy about sharing her opinions about it. Holly Warlick even joked about her mother’s reserved seat during her press conference to introduce her as Lady Vols coach in 2012.
“Mom said, ‘Now do I get seats behind your bench?’ ” Holly Warlick said. “And she said, ‘So when you call the wrong play, I can say, what are you doing?’ So no, Fran, you’re going to sit 40 rows up.”
Holly Warlick, a graduate of Bearden High School, was a three-time All-American guard while playing for legendary Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt 1976-80. She an assistant under Summitt for 27 seasons before becoming Summitt’s successor from 2012-19.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mark United Methodist Church, Habitat for Humanity or The Pat Summit Foundation.
The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Friday at Rose Funeral & Cremation – Mann. A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Mark’s Methodist Church.
Fran Warlick is also survived by a son, William.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Fran Warlick, mother of former Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick, dies at 95
