Whether he was studying with a group of friends from law school or dishing out friendly trash talk on the basketball court, second-year law graduate student Paulo Michael Pinto constantly displayed a grin that could put anyone at ease.
“He always just had a smile on his face that could make any situation better,” law student Stacy Crittenden said. “When you lose somebody like this, you just have to be thankful that he was a part of your life.”
Pinto, 25, died Oct. 20 while riding a motorcycle in Genoa Township. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department reported Pinto lost control of a 2001 Suzuki GSX-R600 motorcycle while going into a curve and went off the road at about 1:30 p.m.
A Brighton resident, Pinto graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2005 with an English degree.
Crittenden said she knew Pinto for about a year and worked with him at the MSU College of Law Rental Housing Clinic over the summer.
“He was always laughing and smiling and full of so much life and confidence and ambition,” Crittenden said. “Mike was one of those people that he really had the ability to impact and influence your life.”
For law student Paul Wayner, Pinto’s playful personality stuck out in the high-pressure law school.
“Our relationship was kind of based on trash talking. Kind of stupid, but not the kind of things you’ve got in the atmosphere where we met each other,” Wayner said.
“He was so refreshing for me.”
This attitude emerged most prominently on the basketball court, where Pinto would frequently help gather players from the law school.
“We played ball regularly,” Wayner said.
“He was one of those guys who was instrumental in getting people out to play.”
It was this kind of personality that made Pinto memorable for Wayner.
“He was a real friendly guy, but he was not typical. He could be abrasive but real friendly at the same time,” Wayner said.
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