Meet the Newest Members of the Reserve Heritage Society

Craig ’75 and Beth Paynter

For Craig ’75 and Beth Paynter, family, education, and giving back are guiding values. Married for ten years and together for 20, they’ve built a full, joyful life with their blended family of four children—Andy, Alex, Kendall, and Taylor—and three grandchildren, Ellery, Kamryn, and Cash.

Craig, who grew up in Stow, Ohio, first learned about Western Reserve Academy from a neighbor. With encouragement from his parents and a bit of serendipity—Mr. Gramentine ’52 helped him secure a last-minute opening—he enrolled. Craig quickly found his place in the classroom and on athletic teams.

As a day student, Craig balanced Reserve life with his local friends, and the diversity of the school broadened his outlook. WRA “opened a lot of doors that probably wouldn’t have been available otherwise,” he said. Years later, Craig still remembers biology teacher Russ Hansen’s dramatic classroom lessons on nuclear energy and responsibility. But more than anything, the school instilled resilience in students: “We believed we could figure things out.” This confidence carried him through college and beyond.

Craig earned degrees in history and economics from Denison University and a law degree from the University of Akron. Over three decades, he built a statewide practice in civil, employment, construction, and eminent domain law before retiring in 2019.

Financial aid made Craig’s Reserve experience possible—for him and his younger sister. That generosity inspired his ongoing support and, most recently, contribution to the Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund. “I thought about what I could do to repay the school for its kindness,” Craig said. “Reserve prepared me and shaped how I see the world. This is one way I can say thank you.”