Background
He was born in Waltham, Massachusetts, and died at Waltham–Weston Hospital near his home in Belmont. A descendant of Tristrum"s son Stephen Coffin, he was a 1928 graduate of Harvard and 1931 winner of The Bridge World international problem solving contest.
Career
Coffin wrote more than 200 books that included bridge, poker, cribbage and other card games. At the bridge table he was known for his exceptional endplay technique (eliminations, squeezes and coups) resulting in his nickname "Endplays" Coffin, after his classic books of the same title. He also wrote about fungi, on which he was an authority.