HGTV personality Erin Napier announced the death of her beloved aunt Marilyn, affectionately known as Aunt Mae Mae, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Sharing the news via Instagram alongside a collection of family photographs, the designer and television host reflected on how the lifelong retail worker helped raise her, encouraged her early artistic talents, and welcomed visitors from across the country to Laurel, Mississippi, while she and her husband, Ben Napier, continue filming Season 11 of their flagship renovation series, Home Town.
In her public statement, reported by TV Insider, Erin detailed the immediate personal impact of the loss on her extended family and the broader Laurel community. Beyond her role within the family, Mae Mae was a familiar presence to fans of the HGTV series who traveled to Mississippi to visit the couple's flagship retail storefront, Laurel Mercantile Co., where she worked as a store greeter and sales associate.
A fixture at Laurel Mercantile Co. and a Career in Retail
For viewers who have followed the revitalization of downtown Laurel through HGTV's programming, the family businesses operated by the Napiers serve as central community hubs.
According to AOL.com, Mae Mae spent her entire working life in the retail sector before joining the staff at the Napiers' stores in their Mississippi hometown.
In her November 4 tribute, Erin emphasized her aunt's natural ability to connect with strangers and make visitors feel welcome inside the shops. "My Aunt Mae Mae passed away today. If any of you met her when she worked as a greeter at our stores, you did not forget her," Erin wrote in her social media post. "Her gift was loving people. Loving meeting them, talking to them. She worked in retail her entire life and could teach a master class in service."
Following the announcement, customers and former colleagues shared their own firsthand encounters in the comment section of Erin's post, illustrating how frequently Mae Mae interacted with tourists visiting the town.
Several patrons recalled how she went out of her way to converse with shoppers long after their transactions were complete.
"She was a hoot and a half! All of our staff just loved her. She'd share so many stories with us and the customers," one commenter wrote, as documented by Yahoo Entertainment. "I once saw her walk customers out to their car and then back into the store. She wanted to show them a chapter of y'all's book. She was so special and so proud of yall."
Other visitors noted that her hospitality remained a lasting memory of their trips to Mississippi years later. "We met her while visiting the store. She walked out with us after making purchases and talked with us for several minutes," another visitor shared. "Delightful and we still talk about her 7 years later. Sweet sweet lady."
Additional shoppers praised her warm demeanor at the counter, noting that she consistently greeted guests with a smile and took pride in her work as a salesperson at the Mercantile.
Childhood Memories and Nurturing an Artist
Alongside her reflections on her aunt's professional life at the store, Erin credited Mae Mae with playing a foundational role in her upbringing and creative development. Before Erin became known to television audiences for her hand-drawn architectural sketches, graphic design work, and home restoration vision on Home Town, her aunt recognized and supported those early artistic inclinations.
Erin explained that when she was a young child, her mother worked part-time as a realtor. On the days her mother had real estate commitments, Mae Mae looked after Erin and filled their afternoons with outdoor exploration, storytelling, and hands-on art projects on their family property.
"When I was very young and my mama was a part-time realtor she kept me on the days mama had to work," Erin wrote.
"She walked me through the trails in the woods on the hill where 4 generations of my family have lived. We collected leaves, and glued them into scrapbooks. She showed me the John Wayne movies I needed to know. She taught me the presidents, and we drew them for my scrapbook too. She sang Elvis to me, and told me about Jesus. She saw my creative gifts and knew exactly how to nurture them, helping raise up a professional artist without even realizing it."
The HGTV star also shared specific sensory memories from her childhood visits to her aunt's home, noting with humor that Mae Mae had a distinctive laugh that reminded her of a goose.
"For the rest of my life I will smell Ivory soap and remember the way she bathed me in her cast iron sink and fed me little ice cream cones with marshmallows and strawberry jam hidden in the bottom," Erin recalled.
A Family Namesake and Generational Legacy
The bond between the two remained central to Erin's adult life as she and Ben started their own family. The couple, who share two daughters, Helen and 5-year-old Mae, chose to pass down her aunt's nickname to the next generation when their younger child was born.
"She was so very special, when my last baby girl was on the way I knew what we would name her. Mae," Erin stated in her tribute, concluding the message with a nod to her aunt's favorite musician: "I so hope she got to meet Elvis today!"
Readers and longtime viewers of the show responded strongly to the personal history shared in the post, pointing out how multi-generational family ties frequently anchor the stories featured on the Napiers' television programs.
"The older I get, the more I realize that these losses of the people who made us who we are, are so deep. Even if they've had a long life. Loved reading how she helped shaped you," one supporter wrote in response to the tribute. Another commenter added, "What a treasure Mae Mae was. I am sorry for your loss sister, but it sounds like she made her mark on this old world and certainly helped mold you into an exceptional person."
Filming Season 11 Following Daytime Emmy Recognition
The family loss occurred during an active production schedule in Laurel, where Erin and Ben are currently on location filming Season 11 of Home Town. Keeping production rooted in their hometown has long allowed the couple to remain close to their extended family, local businesses, and young daughters while producing episodes for the network.
News of Mae Mae's passing arrived less than a week after the couple celebrated a major professional milestone for their broader franchise.
On Saturday, October 31, Erin announced on Instagram that their spinoff series, Home Town Takeover, had won a 2026 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Instructional/How-To Program for its third season, Home Town Takeover: Sebring.
Even during that industry victory, the couple prioritized their family schedule and ongoing production responsibilities in Mississippi over attending the award ceremony in person. "Last night, our show Home Town Takeover: Sebring won the Emmy!" Erin wrote in her October 31 update. "We weren't there to receive the honor because we are filming in Laurel and couldn't stand to miss one of the handful of times our girls will trick or treat in their short childhood."
As production on Season 11 of Home Town continues in Laurel, the Napier family has not publicly released additional details regarding formal memorial services or obituary notices.