Arvin Napier

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Arvin Neil Napier, 74, of Charleston died Friday, April 3, 2015, at Charleston Manor.

He was born Oct. 6, 1940, in Obion County, Tennessee, to John and Annie Ruth Sizemore Napier Jr. He and Gwendolyn Ann Laird were married Sept. 10, 1961.

Arvin graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1963 with a bachelor of science in education. He moved to Cape Girardeau where he taught in the Cape Girardeau School District six years. He received a master's degree in secondary education from the University of Missouri in 1967; a specialist degree in educational administration from Southeast Missouri State University in 1983; then received a Ph.D. in educational administration and higher education in 1997 from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

While obtaining his advanced education, he taught as a graduate assistant at SIU, was employed with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, then JAMP, a special education cooperative. During his first two years with JAMP, he served as coordinator of combined services for 15 districts, then was promoted to serve as director, holding that position until his retirement in 1993. At that time he elected to accept the position of coordinator of the student teacher program at SIU, retiring in 2003.

In 1969 he was ordained as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. He continued to serve as a deacon as his church membership moved to First Baptist Church in Tamms, Illinois, Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, and then to First Baptist Church in Charleston. In addition to serving as a deacon at First Baptist in Charleston, he was a member of the Budget Committee, taught Sunday school, and was active in mission projects in Napakiak, Alaska, and Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He was a member of Charleston Kiwanis Club.

Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Amy Dawn Tucker of Cape Girardeau; a son, Randal Shawn Napier of Charleston; three brothers, Mark Napier of Union City, Tennessee, Stan Napier of Water Valley, Kentucky, and Eric Napier of South Fulton, Tennessee; and two grandchildren, Jacob Randal Napier and Rachel Erin Tucker of Cape Girardeau.

He was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Ron Tucker.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time Monday at McMikle Funeral Home.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Gerald Collier of Jackson and the Rev. Ken Mathes, transitional pastor of First Baptist Church in Charleston, officiating. Interment will be in IOOF Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Joe Forrest, Ray Presson, Louis Bradley, Bob Graham, John Tucker and Eddie Barnhill.

Memorial contributions may be given to First Baptist Church, PO Box 442, Charleston, MO 63834.

Online condolences may be shared at mcmiklefuneralhome.com.