Griffin McMillian Paynter, age 25, living in Forney, Texas, died March 11, 2020. He was born in Springfield, Mo. on April 4, 1994, to Jesse L. Paynter and Lisa D. Bruno.

Griffin moved to Newtown in early May, five weeks after he was born. He grew up with his three siblings, his sister Kyle, and two brothers, Oliver and Maxwell. Griffin was born with an pleasant, kind, gentle disposition.

Growing up in Newtown, Griffin was happy at home with Mom, socialized with lots of youngsters. He played outside in our yard and neighborhood, at the parks in Newtown and in Sandy Hook. He participated in many activities our community and had a full, content early childhood.

Griffin went to preschool in Bethel at the YMCA. In his early years, Griffin developed his sense of humor. I can still hear him by himself, laughing, in the bonus room of our house on Palestine Road, while watching a movie! Griffin began his love for music young. His dad lived with music in the background of every day life. As a little boy, I can hear Griff humming a simple melody, sounding like a jazz tune.

Kindergarten through 4th grade Griffin attended St Rose of Lima School. In third grade, Griffin played his drum in the Christmas Pagent as the drummer boy. While at St Rose School, Griffin was involved in Chess Club, Booth Library classes, after school programs, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse.

Griffin grew up at church, our family church, Grace Christian Fellowship. We spent Sunday and Wednesday nights in church. The church supplied many experiences that Griffin participated in, including Children’s Church, Children’s Christmas Plays, Vacation Bible Camp to name a few...

5th grade through high school “Fishy Chicken,” a nickname, was educated in the Newtown Public Schools. Griffin’s dad and older brother played the drums and inspired Griffin’s interest in music, especially drumming. He took piano lessons and learned a lot from the Reed School music department. Griffin had a passion for snowboarding; he snowboarded locally and in Vermont. During a very snowy winter when Griffin was 14 or so, he and friends snowboarded off our house roof to a safe landing onto two-feet of packed powder on the deck. Skateboarding was an other favorite past time. He and his friends made jumps out of everything and constantly sought out places to do tricks, including the Booth Library steps. He and his friends skate boarded in town and were the group of kids that the signs “prohibiting skateboarding in Newtown” were written up for! As a Christmas gift, Griff received a tractor lawn mower. It was one of his all time favorite gifts. He rode the tractor as a vehicle for fun!

When Griffin was 12, his Mom remarried. Griffin gained a stepfather, stepsister and brother. Maxwell,Griffin, and Mom moved in with Griffin’s stepfather and stepbrother. Griffin’s stepbrother, Nic had a strong positive influence on him in setting goals and the value of structure in life. One area encouraged by Nick that became a permanent pursuit in Griffin’s life was body building. Griff spent large amounts of time developing his muscles at the gym. Growing into the enormous 6-foot, 4-inch hunk of muscle that Griff was, he lifted 500 pounds in the months leading up to his death. Griffin was creative and showed artistic talent in his art classes at Newtown High School.

Griffin had a very personable way about him, he had a smile that lit up the room and was a wonderful friend that had many friends. Griffin was a fun lover and had a contagious laugh. He could easily arise rooms of people to laughter. So often he’d get his brothers and his friends laughing hysterically!

Griffin worked in high school and made money in house and land construction. Griffin played drums in a high school band. “Fishy,” one of Griff’s many nicknames, graduated Newtown High School in 2012. Griffin worked in town in construction before applying to Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. While in college Griff worked, studied, made Dean’s List, played sports, and lifted weights. He graduated CCU in 2018. Summer jobs for Griff while in college consisted of working at a car dealership with his brother in Texas, and restaurant work in Connecticut, which included quality time with his half brother and sister. He spent his summer after college in Cape Cod. He was interested in the National Guard and pursued the Air Force, however the process was too slow for Griffin’s liking. Griffin wanted to do something important, something that mattered, something that Grandfather would be proud of him for. As he sorted through future career ideas he went went to Colorado to work at Breckenridge and to get his fill of his snowboarding passion. After that he moved to Nevada to live with his sister, her husband, and their three children, where he inquired more about the Air Force... moved to Texas to live, work, and play the drums with his brother, Oliver.

Griffin had it all going for him as he thrived in sales.

Griffin leaves behind his parents, stepfather, Dominick R. Bruno; his sister Kyle P. Gurnari, her husband, Anthony F. Gurnari, and their three children, Hailey, Tristan, and Gavin; his brothers Oliver R. Paynter and Maxwell S. Paynter; half-brother Cole Paynter and half-sister Maisy Paynter; stepbrother Nicholas J. Bruno and his wife, Schimeny; his stepsister Kristen B. Curren her husband, Dan Curren, and their two children, Hazel and Violet; and grandmother Jean Paynter.

Many loved Griffin and are grieving. If there is a memory or a tale you would like to share about him or a time with Griffin, please do so. E-mail HonorGMP@gmail.com.

A memorial and Celebration of Life was being planned for Saturday, August 29, at Dickinson Memorial Park in Newtown. Due to continued coronavirus concerns and precautions, the family has announced that the memorial event is indefinitely postponed.