Puzzle lovers remember the master, Merl Reagle

Crossword puzzle constructor Merl Reagle, a merry giant in the puzzle world and a beloved weekly presence in scores of U.S. newspapers, including The Inquirer, died suddenly Saturday in Tampa, Fla. He was 65. His last puzzle appeared Sunday.

"Our readers will really miss Merl," said Inquirer managing editor Sandra M. Clark. "They loved his puzzles. He was witty and ingenious, a master at wordplay. And every year, he would create a Philadelphia-centric puzzle just for The Inquirer."

Puzzle colleagues, Inquirer readers, and a staffer who worked with him share their thoughts.

Starting in 1980, Merl contributed a crossword to nearly every ACPT [American Crossword Puzzle Tournament]. His 1980 puzzle, titled "Marquees After the Storm," featured movie titles with missing letters. For example, " 'Empire of the Ants' co-feature?" was answered by LICE IN WONDERLAND. " 'Of Human Bondage' co-feature?" was UNTIE MAME. "Co-feature of 'The Blob'?" was LOCAL BOY MAKES GOO. It was modern and funny and would fit nicely even in today's crossword scene.

- Will Shortz, New York Times puzzle creator/editor and NPR puzzle master, on the Wordplay blog

I've worked alongside Merl for almost 20 years as a judge at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Merl and my late husband, Doug Heller, had been friends since year 2 of the Tournament. Merl would sometimes show up in Philadelphia and stop by for dinner and a night of wordplay with us.

I think the most fun I had with Merl was just being in the judges' room with him. The judges sit at circular tables and "grade" the finished puzzles from contestants. Of course, Merl's table was always the most popular, but he also had a booming voice, so everyone benefited from his humor and wit. He could anagram anything, and would, on the fly, leaving those around him in stitches.

Thanks to YouTube, we can share a bit of Merl's humor here, at the 2010 ACPT Talent Show: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_k4a3GPmuM

- Nancy Parsons,

ACPT webmaster

Reagle was the unsung star of the Ken Burns' documentary Wordplay. He showed how crosswords are akin to composing music and lyrics for a song. His crosswords had a rhythmic pattern.

- Carrie Rickey, former

Inquirer movie critic

It's impossible to imagine Sundays without Merl Reagle in my house. How dutifully I first read everything else, just so I could go guilt-free to his crossword reward. He was accessible and kind, always answered email or questions. . . . One of my favorites was last Mother's Day. When completed, there was a hidden message: "Call your mother." Apparently, I wasn't the only mother who wrote to thank him. But that time I got a response from his wife, who wrote that he had received so many appreciative letters about it, she was commandeered to help answer them.

I have the worst feeling we just lost somebody very special. And it probably won't sink in until next Sunday morning when my paper hits the step with an ominous thud.

- Toni Marie Brenner

Loved his puzzles; will we have to 'solve' his obit as a tribute?

- @LFVelezphd

I am a crossword constructor who had the pleasure to know Merl, collaborate with him, and be thunderstruck by his wit and brilliance. Some tidbits. He used to keep a little black book - not for dates, but for when clue inspiration hit him. (Apt too, somehow, for the guy who used to write Penthouse magazine's genuinely sophisticated crossword.) He was a movie maven and nothing was more invigorating than watching a movie with him, being entertained by his play by play, and his remarkable cinematic knowledge.

One time he was with me as I was editing a puzzle I wrote and he saw me pen a pedestrian clue for a common fill word. He chastised me saying, "All clues need love." And then he quoted Sweet Smell of Success - "Come back, Sidney, I wanna chastise you."

Come back, Merl, I miss you.

- Jonathan Schmalzbach

ATOZ, dear Reagle, you used each symbol with glee and pun filled merriment. Your wit, charm, and style will be missed. May you rest in peace.

- Jane Piecuch

My favorite puzzle constructor. . . . I'll miss his wit and the many happy hours I've spent solving his puzzles. RIP.

- Anne Dempsey

I always checked out his puzzle. Just reading the theme for the day made me smile.

- Gail Parker

Merl emailed me his puzzle for The Inquirer every week, along with a couple of other people in the newsroom.

One day earlier this year, after I sent him back acknowledgment, he responded with this note (as was his habit, all lowercase):

"apropos of nothing, and because your name has such seemingly lousy letters for anagramming, i've been trying to do just that - anagram your full name into two common words. amazingly, there is only one pair, making the solution unique."

So here is one last word puzzle from Merl Reagle, in - to use his phrase - puzzle-challenge lingo:

What two common, unrelated, uncapitalized words does REIDTUVIM anagram into, using all the letters once? (In other words, you don't have to anagram REID first and then TUVIM; just use all nine letters to form two common words.)

- Reid Tuvim, Inquirer deputy news editor