---
title: "Gary Gygax Co-Creator of Dungeons and Dragons Passes Away"
id: "22"
type: "post"
slug: "gary-gygax-co-creator-of-dungeons-and-dragons-passes-away"
published_at: "2008-03-04T23:04:21+00:00"
modified_at: "2023-04-27T02:51:34+00:00"
url: "https://basicroleplaying.net/gary-gygax-co-creator-of-dungeons-and-dragons-passes-away/"
markdown_url: "https://basicroleplaying.net/gary-gygax-co-creator-of-dungeons-and-dragons-passes-away.md"
excerpt: "Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons along with Dave Arneson, has passed away on March 4th 2008. Gary has recently been working with Troll Lord Games, a small paper and pencil RPG publisher. Troll Lords forums have up..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Gaming News"
---

[https://basicroleplaying.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/Gary_Gygax_Gen_Con_2007-1.jpg](https://basicroleplaying.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/Gary_Gygax_Gen_Con_2007-1.jpg)

[Gary Gygax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax)
, the co-creator of [Dungeons and Dragons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons)
 along with [Dave Arneson](http://www.blackmoorcastle.com/)
, has passed away on March 4th 2008. Gary has recently been working with Troll Lord Games, a small paper and pencil [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game)
 publisher. Troll Lords [forums](https://basicroleplaying.net/forums)
 have up a post noting that [he has passed away](http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4373&mforum=trolllordgames)
. That Associated Press has confirmed that the [69 year old game designer](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_GYGAX)
 has indeed passed away.

Whether you love or hate D&D it must be duly acknowledged that Gary Gygax was the was, along with [Dave Arneson](http://www.answers.com/topic/dave-arneson?nafid=22)
, known as the [Father of Roleplaying](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax)
. He co-founded [Tactical Studies Rules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSR%2C_Inc.)
 (now part of [Wizards of the Coast](http://www.wizards.com)
) in 1974 with Don Kaye. Gygax was the son of Swiss immigrant Martin Gygax and an American mother. His gaming experiences began at the age of five and six with playing [pinochle](http://www.answers.com/topic/pinochle?nafid=22)
 and chess as well as the usual pretend games of any child that could be likened to [live action role-playing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing)
. He had been in poor health, suffering multiple strokes and a near-heart attack.

May the gods speed you on your next great adventure, Gary!

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