Roger Squires – RIP

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Roger Squires – RIP

Remembrance page

Guardian Obituary

Many of you will have, like myself, solved today’s Guardian Prize puzzle and learned of the death of Rufus at the age of 91.

I did wonder about including the previous sentence but I notice that another website has already made the connection.

Roger retired as a setter in 2017 and was featured in The Guardian. There is also a Wikipedia Page.

I had the pleasure of meeting Roger, albeit briefly, in Birmingham in 2011 in The Old Contemptibles, where he performed a few magic tricks.

58 comments on “Roger Squires – RIP”

  2. I was there as well, as one of the photos confirms, but I think I must have left before Roger’s demonstration. I’m not sure how I feel about Paul using a crossword to announce the news; it seems fine to do it as a memorial but in this case there had been no prior public announcement.

  3. Like bridgesong, I was disconcerted to find the announcement of Roger’s death this morning in a Prize puzzle that I’m down to blog.
    I had heard the news unofficially a couple of days ago but would not have expected it to be communicated in this way.

  4. I am very sad to learn this upsetting news, first via the Prize Puzzle from Paul which I completed last night and now confirmed here on 15² this morning (Australian time). Rufus was an endearing setter in so many ways; as he said himself in a “Meet the Setter” interview, his puzzles were often deemed “gentle”. But I always found them accessible and enjoyed his clueing style very much. I remember lots of clues that were “little gems” in his puzzles several of which came back to me as I solved the Prize Puzzle last night. Sending sincere sympathy on his death to Rufus’ family and friends, and to all those in our crossword community who loved and respected him. How wonderful those photos are – thank you for the link, Kenmac, for recording those memories, Jane T. – in particular, the one of Eileen with Rufus is pure gold.

  5. It often seems to me that Paul attracts more than his fair share of criticism from commenters on this site and (very occasionally) I jump to his defence with a contribution of my own. I don’t include you, Eileen, as one of his regular detractors and I always enjoy your comments on all matters cruciverbal for their generosity and good sense. However, in this case I have to say that I can’t agree with the sensitivity that you and Bridgesong have expressed about this particular crossword. To me at least – and this may well be a minority view – Paul’s indirect announcement of this sad event to the solving public at large seemed respectful and entirely appropriate, assuming of course that all friends and family had already been informed. I have no way of knowing, but I’d like to think that ‘Rufus’ would have appreciated the gesture at least as much as I did as a random member of that solving public.

  6. Oh gawd let’s not make this all about Paul’s puzzle.

    Paul will have composed it with the best of intentions, and Roger was a pretty amazing compiler regardless of whatever else.

    RIP Mr five puzzles per week. That’s pretty impressive!

  7. Rip and thank you Rufus, crossword legend. I was a bit bemused at “In memory of … ” as there was nothing else about it yet online, but in retrospect finding out via Paul’s tribute crossword was quite a propos.

  9. Like others I found out as I solved the Prize. The news came as a shock and I went off searching online to see if it was announced anywhere.

    I didn’t start doing crosswords until three years ago so missed his time as Rufus – but having been told his puzzles were at the more accessible end of the spectrum I have occasionally looked some up and enjoyed them.

    Sad news. Condolences to family.

  10. I found out as I was doing the puzzle, too. And I think that’s probably the way Rufus would have wanted it.
    Sad news indeed and condolences to his family.
    And, yes, Admin was right to include ‘that sentence’.

  12. I came across Rufus solving crosswords back in the 80s, pre-children, and remember them as reliable and accessible. He’d stopped or was just stopping setting when I came back to crosswords in the last few years.

    Really sad to hear of the death of Roger Squires and my thoughts are with those grieving.

    That it was disclosed in a crossword is appropriate, but if others knew, Paul may have assumed that there would be a public announcement before the crossword was published – compliling and submitting a crossword not being an instantaneous activity. (There was nothing online when I realised what was going on, but it’s since been picked up from the crossword.)

  13. A lovely man. RIP.

    Some more happy memories — two parts of Rufus’s 80th birthday celebrations, at the Golden Ball near his home in Ironbridge, and at the Guardian offices. Including tributes, commemorative puzzles, and a wonderful poem by Araucaria.


  15. A big part of my formative years as a crossword solver. Monday’s cryptic powerhouse indeed. RIP Rufus.

  16. Fiona Anne @9 describes how I felt:
    “Like others I found out as I solved the Prize. The news came as a shock and I went off searching online to see if it was announced anywhere.”

    I still miss doing Rufus Monday puzzles. I learnt so much about cryptic crosswrods via his puzzles. RIP Rufus and my condolences to his family.

  17. Very sad news. My introduction to crosswords was an attempt to solve one by Rufus during an interminable and deadly dull departmental meeting (I was sitting right at the very back). I couldn’t finish it, but was charmed by the clues I solved, and started watching out for his works. Gradually I moved on to his colleagues, but one always has a special fondness for a first love, and Rufus was mine.
    His clues were inventive, creative and frequently funny – as was the brilliant poem that Araucaria wrote in his honour, when Rufus retired. I shall try to track it down today, to cheer myself up.

  18. Silvanus posted over on the equally lamented Big Dave’s site…
    Araucaria composed the following for Roger’s 80th birthday, and it is a fine tribute that deserves repeating:

    Master magician Roger Squires
    For eighty years has graced this land
    And still his mental sleight of hand
    Perplexes, conjures and inspires.
    Not his the strained linguistic mire
    That only nerds can understand;
    His clues, meticulously planned,
    Delight us as they cross our wires!

    So, as we toast our honoured guest,
    Best wishes; thanks; and this behest –
    Pray relish and don’t rue the fuss
    We make of you, dear Rufus: plus
    Remember this, young Master Squires:
    No cruciverbalist retires!

    RIP Rufus.

  19. Very sorry to hear this sad news. In my view, Roger Squires was an excellent setter of clues – far better and much more consistent than Araucaria/Cinephile, a contemporary of his in the Guardian and FT who enjoyed a much more enthusiastic following from many contributors to this site. His clue for PATELLA (Two girls, one on each knee) is a classic.

  20. Thanks Rudolf @19 for reminding me of that clue. Rufus was always a pleasant solve.
    Condolences to his family and friends

  21. Very sad news – a wonderful setter of very accessible puzzles with clues that always read well. I was at the Birmingham S&B mentioned – very pleasant person.
    My condolences to his family and friends.

  22. I didn’t know about this. Roger was a lovely man and a fine compiler. I was lucky to meet him a couple of times, and, like most great people, he wasn’t one bit cocksure or full of himself. Just a smashing bloke. Thanks, Roger.

  23. I think the implied criticism of Paul by Bridgesong is wrong. The crossword is a tribute not an announcement. The responsibility for an announcement lies with Rufus’ family and/or the Guardian not Paul.

    On today’s zoom Paul said he began work on the crossword the previous weekend. He had been told by the crossword editor’s wife. He then asked if they would publish a crossword as a tribute

    I have no idea why the magic circle of cruciverbalists knew nothing about this for about a week. I don’t know why the Guardian has taken so long to publish an obituary. Nor I imagine does Paul.

  24. When I started on Guardian crosswords nearly 10 years ago, ‘Rufus’ became for me a distinctive compiler whose approachable style effectively earned him resident status on that paper’s Monday cryptic crossword slot. His puzzles appealed to many, many people, and I know he was popular among other setters as well as solvers. I was amazed to learn of the record number of published crosswords that he attained in his crossword career. My thoughts go to his family and friends. RIP Rufus.

  25. RIP Roger Squires. Always a Monday treat which is much missed. Thank you Paul for a superb tribute.

  26. I met him once at an S&B meeting and he was a delightful man to chat to. He has certainly left a large legacy of impressive work. Condolences to family and friends.

  27. Although the sad news became obvious from Saturday’s Prize, it seems appropriate to say thank you and RIP to Rufus on a Monday morning – he cheered up so many of them!

  28. In response to the comment by Phil @23, I am grateful for the explanation and unreservedly withdraw any criticism of Paul. However, I was perhaps influenced by this comment from John Henderson on Twitter: “Apart from, as a friend of the person concerned, being totally devastated by the news, I am absolutely disgusted by the way that that news was divulged to the public in today’s Guardian”. I now read that as a criticism of The Guardian, for failing to publish any news item about the death of one of their long-standing contributors.

  29. I was another that met him at that S&B meeting. Lovely unassuming man, whose clues were always concise and perfectly crafted. No trickery, except for his cryptic def and double def clues, at which he was the master. Certainly the Guardian should have placed a notice in the body of the paper at the same time as Paul’s puzzle – this wasn’t very joined up editing. But conveying the news in a crossword is not such an inappropriate method for one of the cruciverbal greats.

  30. Each solver has their personal experience of Roger Squires and an aspect of mine is that he led me (via his Monday opera when I was craving distraction on weekly outings) to the broad family of Guardian setters who have given me such pleasure over recent years.

    Humble thanks to Rufus for all the entertainment. His likes will not be seen again.

  31. I wonder whether the criticism of the Guardian is fair. We know nothing of Roger Squires’s and his family’s own wishes – it’s possible that they wanted his death to be announced cryptically in the first instance, as befitted his life.
    Of course I don’t know, but for that reason alone I would not rush to judgment.

  33. Rufus showed me that crosswords could be fun. It became a mantra: “It’s Monday so it must be Rufus!” Followed by a smile.
    RIP, Roger Squires.

  35. A dear colleague I met on a number of occasions. Sorry to get this news via a crossword. I hope someone is saving his work. RIP dear friend.

  37. In my view the Paul puzzle was the perfect way to announce his death. And thanks to Rufus for all the fun over the years,.

  38. I, too, was lead to the cryptic crossword by your craft. I no longer have the dailies but I do have and treasure the books.
    You were one of the great ones and will be remembered.
    Thank you Rufus.
    May your cylinders be jammed and your knees be girled if so desired.
    RIP

  39. I guessed that it was Rufus fairly quickly given the dates and the importance of the event. I imagine he knew of Paul’s planned memorial. But then again, what do I know? He was a master of sleight of hand. He and his Ilk were proper dogs. Respect for him and his tolerant generation. I’m not very good at languages but he certainly helped me get into the English one.

  40. I met Roger/Rufus three times, I think, at crossword events. Like his puzzles, he was fun, gentle and charming. I’m really sad he’s gone.

  41. I had no idea I could solve a cryptic crossword until I tried one of Rufus’s offerings in the Guardian, after which I always looked forward to this treat on the Mondays when he was the setter (and was very disappointed on those Mondays when he wasn’t).. RIP.

  43. A lovely man who lived a long, eventful life and touched the lives of others. That’s not a bad legacy.

    Condolences to Roger’s family.

  44. Those of us with long memories will recall that Araucaria announced that he was dying, and receiving palliative care, via a crossword. I think that Rufus would be delighted to know that news of his death was revealed via the medium that meant so much to him.

  47. Very sad to lose Rufus, though his ninety years, with all the pleasure he gave, must have left Mr Squires and his family all the satisfaction possible from a full and good life. Two wonderful tributes: Araucaria’s verse, for which thanks to John Bee at 18, and the Saturday Guardian Prize. I can appreciate Enigmatist’s shock at the Guardian’s actions: an early obituary would not have spoilt Paul’s sincere and skilful contribution. I wish I had known him: obviously a great man, and as we know a very brave one.

  48. Rufus was one of the first crossword setters I encountered back in the 60’s and I always looked forward to his puzzles, feeling confident that with perseverance I would get there. Thank you dear Rufus.

  51. Can’t seem to get into that telegraph page without signing up etc. Ah well.

    Sandman@44: that was my first thought when tackling Paul’s prize at the weekend. Entirely appropriate imho.

  53. I’m very sorry to hear this. Rufus was one of the setters whose puzzles got me into crosswords. I saw on the comments on the Guardian’s obituary that his family have set up a remembrance page here. https://roger-squires.muchloved.com/ I hope they know that many people have already shared their memories of Rufus on Fifteensquared and elsewhere.

  54. Goodbye, dear old Rufus. You brightened up manys a Monday.

    I echo Wellbeck’s:

    was charmed by the clues I solved, and started watching out for his works. Gradually I moved on to his colleagues, but one always has a special fondness for a first love, and Rufus was mine.

  55. Roger Squires was a very good friend. I visited him in Ironbridge and he returned the compliments when he stopped by in Kuala Lumpur en route to Australia and kindly put on a session with the crossword crowd at my Club. Our Club magazine has a cryptic crossword every issue since 1995. Always the perfect gentleman, he will be missed.
    RIP, my friend.

  57. I had the honour to nurse Rufus in his last year of life. He was a true gentleman with a twinkle in his eye. I am sure he would find it apt on how his death was announced.

  58. About 15-20 years ago, I used to buy the Guardian on a Saturday, mostly for the crossword. I had no access to the internet in those days, so if I couldn’t complete the puzzle, I’d have to fork out for a copy of the Monday Guardian a week later. The wonderful compensation was to get a Rufus puzzle!

    When he retired, I produced a Homage which got published on Big Dave’s Rookie Corner.

    Sad to hear that the old magician has finally passed away. RIP

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