His paternal grandfather was Dr. James Johnston Waring (1829–1888),[1] his great-uncle was Civil War lieutenant general J. Fred.

[3] He joined the faculty of Western Reserve Academy (WRA), in Hudson, Ohio, in 1935, where he remained for the next thirty-two years, teaching English and History.

[3] During World War II, Waring served for a couple of years with the American Field Service as an ambulance driver in Syria and North Africa.

[3] In 1953, Waring married WRA librarian Julianna Fitch, who shared his love for books, art, history and architecture.

The couple retired to Waring's hometown of Savannah in 1967, living in his ancestral home at 3 West Perry Street in Chippewa Square.