James Napier Jr Obituary

James Napier passed away peacefully at home on May 7th after a short illness. He was "going on 90", and those that knew him had no doubt he would make it, and beyond. It's with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to him, but we must remember it was a life well-lived. He grew up in Leslie County Kentucky, and passed away in the same Romulus home that he lived in for 61 years. He was preceded in death by Carol, his wife of 60 years, and his oldest daughter Doris Bledsoe, and all his siblings. He is survived by 4 children - Candace (Steven) Crawford, Cynthia Nidiffer, Steven (Linda) Napier, and Cathy (Butch) Tieppo. He is also survived by many grandchildren, and many many great grandchildren. He created a family legacy that will thrive for generations. We will come together to celebrate his life at the Crane Funeral Home, 36885 Goddard, Romulus 48174. Visitation will be from 1 to 7 pm on Friday, May 12. There also be visitation Saturday May 13th from 9am. The service will begin at 11 am, presiding will be Pastor Clayton Kerr from Kirby Church where Dad attended. There will be a procession following the service to Michigan Memorial Park, 32163 Huron River Dr, Flat Rock 48134, and a brief service before interment next to Mom. There is no way that Dad could be described in these few short paragraphs. But I'll draw you a picture of the man I knew, and hope that it includes the view you had of him as well. At different points in his life, he was an Army soldier, a McClouth steelworker, and a handyman extraordinaire. If you could hire it out for $100, he'd rather spend $95 and spend 3 days do it himself. He was a carpenter, bricklayer, plumber, roofer, and electrician, welder, auto mechanic - you get the picture? Of course, if he hired you to do that $100 job, don't think that you'd get away with only giving $99. He'd demand every last penny's worth. One of his favorite lines was "Smile and the world smiles with you, but snarl and you'll get better service". This evolved into a long list of businesses that he would no longer visit. Dad came from a generation where you spoke plainly about your thoughts - there wasn't a PC bone in his body. You don't give in, back down, or give up. This wasn't his best trait - it led to some feuds that lasted for years. But he could also be very loving and kind, especially to the babies in the family. Going through Mom's picture albums there were so many pictures of Dad holding all the babies - grinning from ear to ear. He kept track of all the kids and grandkids' birthdays, and would call them up to sing on that day. I'll cherish the voicemails I have from him. I don't look forward to the void I'll feel on the next birthday, when I don't see his number pop up. Dad loved babies, bluegrass music, and he loved Cracker Barrel. Through the years of being a snowbird he had created a map in his head of every Cracker Barrel between Romulus and their winter home in Ruskin Fla. Our annual fall trips to the reunion in Kentucky usually had 7 or 8 stops at the Barrel on the way down and back. He loved those biscuits and sawmill gravy. Oh, and fishing. You can't remember Dad and not talk about fishing. Especially walleye fishing on Lake Erie. He'd curse every Sheephead that dared bite his bait, and celebrate every walleye like it was a wall hanger. He'd read about fishing, talk about fishing, shop for fishing gear, watch fishing on TV, cook fish, and go to fishing shows. One of my favorite Dad stories is when he went with one of his fishing buddies to what he thought was a fishing show in Tampa, and it turned out to be a gathering of men who enjoy a rather flamboyant lifestyle. These two old fishermen walking into that venue and the stunned realization that the show wasn't about fishing! I don't need video to picture THAT look on his face!Please join us to celebrate his life with your favorite story about him. Maybe each story will help us see more clearly the picture of who he was, so that the next generation will understand better where they came from, and what is now absent from our world. Hope to see you there!