Howard Elston Napier, son of George Columbus and Alma Elizabeth (Hyder) Napier, was born September 17, 1923 in Seymour, Missouri. He departed this life Tuesday, March 17, 2009, in St. Mary's Medical Center, in Blue Springs, Missouri, at the age of eighty-five years and six months.
In 1942 he was united in marriage to Lorene Welch and to this union Alice and Dale were born. He later married Dee Duncan and to this union Elizabeth was born. On May 5, 1967 he was united in marriage to Martha Viola (Whitesitt) Coskey, and to this union Marti and Tina were born, she also had five children, Dixie, Julie, Robyn, William and Robert, whom Howard loved as his own.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha; two sons, William Allen Coskey, on August 29, 2000, and Robert Dale Coskey, on April 24, 2005; a daughter, Martha "Marti" Ann Napier Legate, on May 9, 2001; two brothers, Otis and Olen Napier; two sisters, Betty J. Davis, and an infant, Goldie Napier.
Howard is survived by his children, Alice Fay Legan and her husband, Darrel, of Phillipsburg, Missouri, Dale L. Napier, of Long Jack, Missouri, Dixie Marcella Flynn, of Blue Springs, Missouri, Julie Lynne Manning, of Odessa, Missouri, Elizabeth Waggoner, and her husband, Keith, and Tina Marie Robertson, all of Blue Springs, Missouri, and Robyn Denise Bragg, and her husband, Bob, of Cortez, Colorado; twenty-two grandchildren, Sheryl Andreatta, and her husband, Rob, Kevin Legan, and his wife, Paula, Lanessa and Sabrina, Christy Jones, and her husband, Chris, LeighAnn, Amy DeKemper, and her husband, Jeff, Richard Coskey, Christopher Paul Carney, and his wife, Carmen, Rob Coskey, and his wife, Leslie, Wesley Coskey, and his wife, Amie, Denise Montoya, and her husband, RJ, Lindsey, and her husband, Duane, Rodney Bragg, April Manning, Michael Manning, , and his fiancé, Leah, Wendy, JoLynn and Jacquelyn Houts, Steven Legate, Phillip Ward, and Ashley Ward; twenty great-grandchildren; three brothers, Gene Napier, of Seymour, Missouri, Bill Napier and his wife, Shirley, of Hartville, Missouri, Jim Napier, and his wife, Joyce, of Mansfield, Missouri; four sisters, Bertha Bennett, of Macomb, Missouri, Patsy Glenn, of Ozark, Missouri, Dorothy Alexander, and her husband, Leroy, of Aurora, Missouri, Geneva Johnson, of Seymour, Missouri; a number of nieces and nephews; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.
He was a field manager for forty-four years at Vollenweider's Apple Orchard in Lexington, Missouri. In his spare time he enjoyed fishing with his wife, going to baseball games, and listening to country music. For many years he had CB radios and loved to speak to his buddies, his "handle" was Sitting Duck.
Howard was a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle and was a caring neighbor and dear friend. We celebrate his life and accomplishments and will treasure the wonderful memories he has created for his family and friends.

Services will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday March 21, 2009 at the Holman-Howe Funeral Home Seymour. Burial will be in the Liberty Cemetery. Visitation is Friday evening 7-8:00 pm at the funeral home under the direction of the Holman-Howe Funeral Home Seymour, Missouri.