Long-time Arizona Daily Star crossword and sudoku puzzle writer, Merl Reagle, died on Saturday at the age of 65.
Reagle grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in literature and writing. He worked at the Star from 1972-1976 as a copy editor and later became an annual fan favorite at the Tucson Festival of Books.
"Merl was so popular that one year the crowd rushed the stage and a man ended up in the hospital," said Star editor Debbie Kornmiller. "People treated him like a rock star even though it was just about crossword puzzles."
At 15, he sold a crossword puzzle to The New York Times, becoming the youngest person to ever do so. He wrote puzzles for thirty years for newspapers, magazines and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
Well-recognized within the puzzle world, Reagle appeared in the 2005 documentary, "Wordplay" and later in an episode of "The Simpsons."
If you have any memories of Merl that you'd like to share, please email them to isandal@tucson.com or cschmidt@tucson.com
