Madam, – I was saddened to read of the recent death of Derek Crozier (Home News, April 7th). He gave happiness to many people and helped to keep our minds active for many years.
I have happy memories of the day he met a large number of his fans in Dublin, March 13th, 1993. He made a point of speaking to each one of us personally, and I treasure my copy of his signed book of crosswords. He was a true gentleman, and we will miss him. May he rest in peace. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – As a daily visitor to Crosaire since my first tentative efforts in the late 1940s, I have never ceased to marvel at his Derek Crozier’s fine brain, the logical twists of which have occasionally frustrated, and always entertained me as much as his wicked puns! Like many of your readers I had almost come to believe that he was immortal. Sadly we find today that at the end of his long life we shall not meet his work again.
I, and I am sure many of your readers, will mourn him, as we sadly miss our daily “fix”; many of us thought of him as a friend, especially since his visit to Dublin some years ago. May he rest in peace. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – To Derek Crozier’s family I offer my condolences on their loss. To Mr Crozier himself I give my belated but heartfelt thanks for the many hours – never wasted – of pleasure his elegant, witty, sometimes perplexing puzzles have given me, and no doubt many, many other of your readers for generations. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Feeling DOWN at the death of Derek but A CROSS we must bear. Thanks Crosaire for years of enjoyment. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Amid all the global and national turbulence reported daily in your newspaper, the Crosaire crossword is like an oasis of calm. Derek Crozier has for years fascinated and frustrated me and many others, with his clever cryptology. I was only recently thinking how wonderful it would be to reach my 10th decade and still to be as mentally agile as he must have been. I will miss him hugely and am deeply grateful to have known him through his work. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – About the reverse ps, in the river and the backward fish, the whole sounds like a dreamy part (5, 2, 5). Sleep in peace Crosaire. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It is with regret that I note the passing of Derek Crozier. It begs the question, how best to continue? I propose that The Irish Times, when the current supply is exhausted, adopts the simple expedient of starting from the first one again. Here’s to another 60 years of puzzling! – Yours, etc,