Shirley Anne Thompson Napier

Mrs. Shirley Napier, former Clerk and Master of Maury County passed away on March 8th, 2020. Mrs. Napier was 87 years of age and had recently celebrated her birthday. She was at her home, surrounded by her adoring family when she passed into eternity. She was a member of Graymere Church of Christ. Funeral services will be conducted 2:00 p.m. Thursday at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Bobby Sands and Reverend Dr. Connie Green officiating. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials can be made to American Lung Association, 1, Vantage Way # C-120, Nashville, TN 37228, Columbia Academy, 1101 West 7th Street, Columbia, TN 38401, and Zion Christian Academy, 6901 Old Zion Rd, Columbia, TN 38401. Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. She was a native of Maury County, born on March 2nd, 1933 to James W. Thompson, Sr. and Mildred Shannon Thompson. She was preceded in death by her parents, by her brother, James W. (“Jimmy”) Thompson, Jr. and by her husband of nearly 65 years, Mr. J.B. Napier. Mrs. Napier was educated in Maury County schools, having attended elementary and junior high school in Mt. Pleasant, and was a proud graduate of the Class of 1951 of Hay Long High School (the predecessor to Mount Pleasant High School). In the early 1940’s, she rode a mule in the Mule Day Parade in an event billed as “a thousand pretty girls on a thousand mules”. While in high school, she was an outstanding basketball player at Hay Long High School, where she was named to the “All District” and “All Regional” teams as a high-scoring offensive player. Later, she attended Martin Methodist College from 1951-1953, where she continued being a leading scorer for her team. The 1951-1952 team had a record of 15-3, while the 1952-1953 team posted a 14-5 record. Following the 1952-1953 season, her teammates selected her for the “Most Valuable Player Award”, presented by the Jaycees. While at Martin Methodist, she was very involved in campus life, and was selected as an Attendant to the Basketball Homecoming Queen. On August 25th, 1954 she married J.B. Napier of Columbia, Tennessee. They had four adult children: Tim (Dawn) Napier, Stan (Lesha) Napier, Steve (Lori) Napier and Millie (Bart) Fite. They proudly shared eight grandchildren: Tabitha (Mike) Harder, Shannon Patterson, Kelly (Kris) Jones, Kaitlin (Travis) Greene, John Napier, Jackson Fite, McKenzie Napier and Charlotte Napier. Other surviving family include niece, Connie Berry Green and eight great grandchildren. In 1959, the couple started a new business known for many years as Southern Termite and Pest Control Company (later becoming Pestco Systems, Inc.) which the family operated until 1999. Mrs. Napier served as Clerk and Master of Maury County for twenty-three years (1975-1998). During this time period, she also served as the President of the Tennessee State Court Clerks Association, Vice-President of the Tennessee County Officials Association, and was an officer in the Middle Tennessee Clerks Association. She also was recognized by the Maury County Bar Association as a recipient of their Liberty Bell Award. Active pallbearers will be Gerald Buie, Will Gordon, Tom Gordon, Harry Mack Bryant, Travis Greene, John T. Napier, Jackson Fite, and Kris Jones. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Maury County Bar Association, American Legion Auxiliary, Win Halliday, Richard Matthews, Freddie Lee and Edna Earl Hickerson. The family would like to thank her caregivers: Meicki Baker, Tonya Braden, Kim Cathey, Cassie Kelley, Daphne Lentz, and Amber Moser. Additional appreciation is extended to the Compassus Hospice staff and to the doctors, nurses and staff of Maury Regional Medical Center, Dr. Jon Freels, Dr. Padma Narra, and Dr. Christopher English for your care and dedication.