I was introduced to Laird many years ago when we both worked at Westinghouse. I can say with absolute certainty that he was one of the finest men I've ever known. When I think of him, words like gentleman, class, decency, brains, and unfailing good humor come to mind. He was a crossword puzzle genius. When he learned that my mom loved crossword puzzles too, he sent her a copy of one of his books with a warm and cheery greeting in it. She was thrilled.
