HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – After a successful 46 years, business owners Wilson and Linda McClellan are closing the doors of Huntsville staple, SchoolCraft. The store has provided all of the school supplies teachers could need for the classroom since 1975.

The vision began when Linda, who formerly worked in the daycare industry, had a difficult time finding what she wanted, or at times simply needed, for the classroom. So, the couple took matters into their own hands.

“I’ve always said through the years that while being young and foolish we decided to open a school supplies store,” Linda explained. But, with the success that followed it’s hard to describe the decision as ‘foolish.’

While times have changed significantly during the four-and-a-half decades they’ve been open, one trend they’ve enjoyed is watching children follow in the footsteps of their parents and grow up to be educators.

“One interesting thing we’ve often seen is somebody comes in and they are a teacher. They’ll say ‘you know I came here when I was a child with my mother who was a teacher,” Linda explained.

But, despite the memories that the couple cherishes, when they were approached with an offer to buy the property they knew it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. Now, they’ll have more time to spend at home and with their kids.

However, they reiterate the store and its customers will always be like family to them. “We just can’t thank the teachers who have been our customers and administrators, the schools, everybody has been wonderful to us and we just can’t thank them enough,” Wilson shared.

As for what’s next, the two say they are excited to slow down, spend more time outside, and travel. Looking back Wilson said, “It’s been a wonderful life. We’ve enjoyed it. Now, it’s time to turn the page and see what comes next.”

SchoolCraft will be open until April 1st or until their product sells out.