Erin Napier
Erin Napier Mourns Aunt Mae Mae, Namesake of Her Daughter, Amid Home Town Filming
HGTV star Erin Napier is mourning her aunt Marilyn — known to family and fans as Mae Mae — after announcing her death in an Instagram post on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. The co-host of Home Town described her aunt as a “very special” relative whose gift was loving people, according to USA TODAY and TV Insider.
Napier and her husband, Ben Napier, are filming Season 11 of Home Town in Laurel, Mississippi. The family loss comes less than a week after the couple won a 2026 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Instructional/How-To Program for Season 3 of Home Town Takeover.
What did Erin Napier say about Aunt Mae Mae?
In her Nov. 4 Instagram tribute, Napier wrote that fans who met Mae Mae as a greeter at the couple’s Laurel retail stores would not forget her. “Her gift was loving people. Loving meeting them, talking to them,” she wrote, according to USA TODAY. “She worked in retail her entire life and could teach a master class in service.”
Napier recalled childhood days when her mother worked as a part-time realtor and Mae Mae watched her. She described walking trails in the woods on a hill where four generations of her family have lived, collecting leaves for scrapbooks, watching John Wayne movies, learning the presidents, hearing Elvis songs and hearing about Jesus.
“She saw my creative gifts and knew exactly how to nurture them, helping raise up a professional artist without even realizing it,” Napier wrote, as quoted by TV Insider and USA TODAY.
She also tied sensory memories to her aunt — the smell of Ivory soap, baths in a cast-iron sink, and little ice cream cones with marshmallows and strawberry jam hidden at the bottom — and said she would forever associate Mae Mae with a laugh that reminded her of a goose.
Why is Mae Mae connected to Napier’s daughter?
Napier and Ben share daughters Helen and Mae. Erin wrote that when her youngest was on the way, she knew what they would name her: Mae. “She was so very special, when my last baby girl was on the way I knew what we would name her. Mae. I so hope she got to meet Elvis today!” she wrote, according to TV Insider and USA TODAY.
Fans who met Mae Mae at the Laurel Mercantile left condolences recalling her warmth as a greeter and salesperson, TV Insider reported.
Emmy win amid Season 11 filming
On Oct. 31, Erin posted that Home Town Takeover: Sebring had won a Daytime Emmy. The Napiers were not at the ceremony because they were filming in Laurel and did not want to miss their daughters’ Halloween, TV Insider said. She credited both the Takeover crew and the original Laurel Home Town team for the honor.
FAQ
Who died in Erin Napier’s family?
Her aunt Mae Mae (Marilyn), who worked as a greeter at the Napiers’ Laurel stores, according to Napier’s Instagram post as reported by USA TODAY and TV Insider.
Are the Napiers still filming Home Town?
Yes. Season 11 of Home Town is filming in Laurel, Mississippi, TV Insider reported.
Earlier coverage: Erin Napier Mourns Aunt Mae Mae, Namesake of Her Daughter, Amid Home Town Season 11 (Nov 5)