Robert "Bobby" Milne Napier
Year Inducted: 2007
Kahua Ranch | O'ahu
Bobby grew up riding the rolling hills and gulches of Kahua Ranch in Waialua, O`ahu, with Percy Sanborn, George A’i, Jack Robello, Peter Kama, brothers Able, Adam and Effrim Ha`i, and his dad, Alex Napier – all top paniolo of their day. These mentors filled Bobby with a good deal of cow sense, tricks of the trade and, according to his wife Marilyn, a respectable amount of B.S. Maybe that’s why Bobby became something of a prankster himself, and has more than a few good stories to tell.
Bobby started on his cowboy life working for Kahua Ranch both on O`ahu and in Kohala on the Big Island. He then went on to work for Kahua Beef Sales and was Operations Manager for Kahua Meat Company.
Bobby is descended from a Scotsman – James Alex Napier, who worked for Parker Ranch and who brought cattle from Scotland. Bobby’s dad, Alex Napier, worked for Kahua Ranch and Kahua Meat Company. His mother is 100% pure Portuguese, from Kohala. Bobby jokes that she came with papers. Bobby became familiar with the significance of papers when he was in the 4-H livestock program as a youngster. He raised steers while his friend Buddy Gibson raised heifers. Later, Bobby’s own 4 children went through the 4-H program. He started the Golden Steers 4-H Club of O`ahu County, and gave 32 years to the State and County 4-H program as a leader, Livestock Committee member, and chair.
Bobby contributed to the perpetuation of ranching in future generations and also played an important role in the transportation of livestock. For 10 years he ran his own business hauling and caring for cattle being sent through Honolulu to the mainland from island ranches. He recalls one year when he & his son alone handled 10,000 cattle shipped by Parker Ranch. Bobby had an early introduction to transportation as a vital link in Hawai`i’s cattle industry. He went with his dad on the last run of the Humu`ula, which transported cattle interisland. That, and learning leather craft from Peter Kama are among his best of many rich memories of his life as a paniolo.
Bobby has been a member of the O`ahu Cattlemen’s Association since it’s inception and was an originator of the Paniolo Hall of Fame.