I'm sad to report that one of the giants of the cruciverbal world, Manny Nosowsky, died yesterday, May 20, 2026, at his home in San Francisco. Here is a link to his obituary:
https://sinaimemorial.org/single-obituary/?id=160b206e-a77e-4387-a89d-e7defe95c7d6. I like how the photo there shows him proudly holding his Merl MEmoRiaL award. Manny and Merl were good friends, and Merl encouraged Manny when he began making crosswords as he retired from his San Francisco practice as a urologist. He went on to publish hundreds of puzzles in the NYT -- he was one of the most prolific, and certainly one of the cleverest, NYT contributors.
Manny was the first cruciverbalist I ever met, and he generously plugged me in with the SF Bay Area community of puzzlers. He offered me helpful advice and helped me get published for the first time in the NYT. I will miss him greatly.
Michael Blake
Manny's memorial service will be held in Colma, CA on Tuesday. The service will be broadcast and recorded at:
https://www.viewlogies.net/sinai/BXJKTgjVr?pin=042569. (I'm not sure that link will work, but give it a try. The last 6 digits are a PIN that may be good for one person only.)
