I have received the following unfortunate news from Derek’s son, Michael:
“I have some sad news, my dad, Derek Arthur, aka Viking passed away from
a pulmonary embolism on Saturday. It was very sudden and thankfully
painless.”
Many tributes to the late Listener editor and FT setter can be found here.
I’m extremely saddened to know this. I have blogged on his FT puzzles often and have been a great admirer of his work.
Viking has also been very helpful to me with my articles on Crossword Unclued. I only had to ask his advice and he would write back with a wealth of detail, knowledge and encouragement. Though I never met him in person, I feel like I have lost a mentor and friend.
Great compiler, sad loss. RIP Viking.
I am sorry to hear that. I know that Viking was an FT crossword setter, was he also the recent Listener number puzzle setter too? If so, God blessed you Viking, No more hard work is needed here of you sir, R.I.P Thank-you for the skill you provided us with. may you be in forever peace.
Amen.
I can only echo the sentiments here and elsewhere. Today’s FT puzzle is accompanied by a brief pen picture, by way of an obituary, and includes the origins of the pseudonym Viking.
Hopefully there are more than a handful of Derek’s puzzles still navigating the FT pipeline, for us to enjoy in the future.