Addis Sr., Laird C.

Laird C. Addis Sr. of Iowa City died June 27, 2011, at his home at Bickford Cottage at the age of 97. Services for him will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 2, at First Baptist Church, 500 North Clinton St., Iowa City, with the Rev. Dorothy Whiston and the Rev. James V. Davison officiating. Visitation will be Friday evening, July 1, from 5 to 8 at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, 2720 Muscatine Ave.

Laird Clark Addis was born May 20, 1914, in Cheltenham, Pa., the only child of Ruth Frances (Beard) and Howard Lester Addis. For most of his childhood years he lived in New York City, during which time he was taken to meet Madame Curie, a friend of his mother's employer during Curie's first visit to the United States. At the age of 12, following a move with his mother to Bath, N.Y., he won the Steuben County spelling championship, and graduated from Haverling High School in Bath in 1932. On Feb. 1, 1935, the Rev. Fred Webber, brother of the bride, officiated at the marriage of Laird and Dora Ersel Webber in the parsonage of First Baptist Church in Bath. Ersel Addis died in 1995, two months after their 60th wedding anniversary.

Mr. Addis worked in various jobs, including that of sports reporter before joining the Federal Civil Service in 1937 which took him to positions in Oswego, Staten Island, and, for most of World War II, Schenectady, N.Y., where he was chief clerk for the U.S. Army Depot. Near the end of the war, he and his family moved to Des Moines and then, in l946, to Iowa City, where his wife had been raised. He worked in Iowa City as an accountant for Lagomarcino Fruit and Vegetable Co. until its closing, and then for Westinghouse Learning Corporation until his retirement in 1979. For many of his retirement years, he served as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and for the Iowa City Head Start.

Recognized by an historian of the subject as one of the four most prolific puzzle makers of the 1930s through the 1950s, Laird Addis published his first crossword puzzle in 1930. In the half century following, he became well known to fans across the nation with hundreds of puzzles in the New York Herald Tribune, the annual Simon and Schuster crossword puzzle book, and other publications. Many people also will remember Laird Addis for typing their doctoral dissertations or other academic documents, something he did during evenings and weekends for more than 30 years. He was also a master proofreader for Westinghouse and others.

Laird Addis was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Iowa City for more than 65 years where he served as Sunday school superintendent, moderator, deacon, and treasurer in addition to singing bass in the choir. Family and church were central to his life. Known for their hospitality, Laird and Ersel's home was a place of welcome and acceptance. For many years, the Addis family included foster children.

Laird's other activities included playing the piano, leading singing, reading, working crossword puzzles, playing cribbage, shooting pool, and spending time with his many friends. Laird and Ersel were blessed with four trips to Europe with family. Laird was also a longtime fan of the Chicago Cubs baseball team and the Iowa Hawkeyes athletic teams.

Mr. Addis is survived by his four children, Laird Addis Jr. and his wife, Patricia, of Iowa City, Winston Addis of Bellevue, Wash., Yvonne Addis and her partner, Craig Hickok, of Mason City and Sue Dayton and her husband, Chuck, of Iowa City; nine grandchildren, Kristin Addis (Jamie Lloyd), Erin Caster (Nick), Jenny Kelchen (Craig) and Kathy Shey (Mike) of Iowa City, Sally Dayton (Dan Hickey) and Karin Addis of Chicago, Shaun Leibfried (Dietmar) and Lisa Proehl (Pete) of Bellevue, Wash., and Cameron Addis (Marianne Ezell) of Austin, Texas; and 14 great-grandchildren, Hazen Addis, Luken Addis, Zoe Addis, James Caster, Benjamin Caster, Amelia Kelchen, Patrick Shey, Thomas Shey and William Shey of Iowa City, Josef Leibfried, Lisa Leibfried, Emma Proehl and Jacob Proehl of Bellevue, Wash., and Reese Hickey of Chicago.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ersel; his daughter-in-law, Georgi Addis; and his great-granddaughter, Sophie Proehl.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church.

Online condolences may be sent to