▁closest ▁friends . ▁The ▁two ▁collabor ated ▁often ▁and ▁co - author ed ▁puzz les ▁in ▁multiple ▁publications , ▁winning ▁a ▁best ▁puzz le ▁award ▁for ▁their ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁M ega ▁Cross word ▁P uzz le ▁Book ▁from ▁Simon ▁& ▁Sch uster . ▁ ▁David ▁Stein berg ▁ ▁David ▁Stein berg , ▁who ▁at ▁ 1 4 ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁young est ▁puzz le ▁constructor ▁to ▁be ▁printed ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁pa ired ▁up ▁with ▁Gordon , ▁then ▁the ▁oldest ▁living ▁Times ▁constructor , ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁to ▁create ▁an ▁age ▁difference - th emed ▁puzz le . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁puzz le ▁was ▁published , ▁Stein berg ▁was ▁ 1 6 , ▁Gordon ▁was ▁ 9 9 . ▁Will ▁Short z ▁introduced ▁Stein berg ▁to ▁Gordon ▁initially . ▁ ▁They ▁collabor ated ▁rem ot ely ▁and ▁ex changed ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁emails . ▁ ▁Awards ▁and ▁recognition ▁▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁oldest ▁living ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁having ▁had ▁her ▁most ▁recent ▁puzz le ▁published ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 0 0 ▁ ▁L if etime ▁achiev ement ▁prize ▁and ▁annual ▁constructor ▁award ▁named ▁after ▁her ▁by ▁Universal ▁Cross words ▁editor ▁Tim othy ▁Parker , ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁ ▁Rec ogn ized ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁construct ors ▁to ▁contribute ▁puzz les ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁for ▁over ▁ 5