Manny Nosowsky, an American crossword puzzle creator, died on May 20, 2026.
Also known as Emanuel Ezra Nosowsky, he was a medical doctor by training who retired from a San Francisco urology practice and began creating crossword puzzles in 1991. His work appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other newspapers.
By the time of his death, he had 254 crossword puzzles published in The New York Times, ranking fourth all-time, and he also produced puzzles for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
Emanuel Ezra Nosowsky (January 3, 1932 – May 20, 2026) was an American crossword puzzle creator. A medical doctor by training, he retired from a San Francisco urology practice and, beginning in 1991, has created crossword puzzles that have been published in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other newspapers. Will Shortz, the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times, has described Nosowsky as “a national treasure” and included four Nosowsky puzzles in his 2002 book Will Shortz’s Favorite Crossword Puzzles. At the time of his death, Nosowsky had had 254 crossword puzzles published in the Times, ranking him fourth all-time, despite not having had a puzzle published there since 2010. Nosowsky also produced a number of puzzles for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.