Jean Napier

Jean Templeton Napier was born on August 30, 1930, in Centreville, MS, and passed away on August 21, 2023, in Jackson, MS. She was the daughter of James and Elreno Templeton of Centreville and the widow of Rev. Denson C. Napier. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her sister Martha Templeton Raia. She is survived by her brothers Jim (Vermia) Templeton and John (Sandra) Templeton; daughter Sandra (David) Dyess, son Denny (Beth) Napier, her grandchildren Kate (Frank) Fillingim, Matthew (Eunique) Napier, Amy (Jeffrey) Chapman, and five great-grandchildren, Isabelle and Will Fillingim and Addie, Wesley, and Cal Chapman and a number of nieces and nephews.

Our mother was a beautiful, smart, generous, and talented person. She was the Salutatorian of CHS class of 1948 and was voted Most Intellectual in the Who’s Who. She graduated from USM in 1952 with a degree in Secretarial Science. She met her husband Denson Napier while participating in the Wesley Foundation program at USM They married August 9, 1950. After finishing college, they moved to the Atlanta area, where he studied at the Candler School of Theology and completed the requirements to become a Methodist minister.They returned to Mississippi and served a number of appointments, including Sandersville and Richton, while serving longest in Hattiesburg and Jackson.

Jean was an incredible woman who lived life on her own terms up until the very end. She was a true homemaker who used her skills on a preacher’s very tight budget to create a beautiful, warm, and inviting home for our family. She was the CFO and COO for our family as well. She was a precise and skilled cook and baker. Mother also loved to sew–a talent she inherited from her own mother. She learned to smock in order to create beautiful dresses for her granddaughters. Mom made clothes and curtains and table coverings and slipcovers and tablecloths and napkins–you name it, she could make it. Shopping was another area where Jean excelled. She was a shrewd shopper and could find anything on sale for a better price than anyone else could ever hope to get. Mother became famous for the deals she found. And, she enjoyed every minute of the shopping for and the giving of perfect gifts.

Although Mother was a homemaker for most of our childhood, when our family moved to Jackson in 1970, she began working in the business office at Millsaps College. She later became the dean’s secretary. One of her duties was dismissing classes when the professor couldn’t make it. She always said the students waiting outside the classroom would start clapping and hooraying when Mrs. Napier appeared. Mom also worked for several years in the business office at Galloway United Methodist Church.

Jean retired from the business office soon after her grandchildren were born, and quickly became the world’s best grandmother. All of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren called her, simply, Jean. She adored them; they adored her. She deliberately chose to be young at heart because who wants to be old and cranky! Mom wanted to be the cute, fun mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who kept up with the times and the styles. She became a texting whiz and loved getting pictures and videos from her grandchildren. This allowed her to be a part of their families and to share in all the fun. Mother was also an intense word game player on her phone. She was really proud when she did well and won bonus games. She loved that Iphone. The Ipad, not so much, but she did binge watch Downton Abbey and several other series she liked. She discovered reading on a tablet and went through books and books and books that way. Mom was a pretty cool 92-year-old.

Jean Templeton Napier was a brilliant, complex, talented, generous, loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. We will miss her every day until we meet again. Love you, Mom.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, October 14, at Galloway United Methodist Church in Jackson. Visitation begins at 10:00 with the service at 11:00.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.parkwayfuneralhomeridgeland.com for the Napier family.