About
Tim Southerst and Andrea Spuck are the owners of both PUZZLES and Lewes Gourmet, which are next door to each other. Following are their brief introductions:
Tim, Owner
Plain and simple, I’m just passionate about puzzles, and I’d love to share that passion with you! Like many, I fondly remember doing puzzles of all kinds, especially with my grandmother in England when I was very young, and with my parents and sister especially when traveling or on vacation. Such great times!
My passion has more recently truly been re-kindled when Andrea and I became owners of PUZZLES and Lewes Gourmet at the end of June 2015, after many years working in large companies. I never cease to be amazed at how important puzzles are, in so many different ways, and to so many very different kinds of people, ranging all the way from the very young to our seniors too.
I look forward to welcoming you to PUZZLES, and to doing what I can to igniting and fostering that same passion and joy for puzzling within you. Above all, I want to see you and your family and friends just having fun together in the store. I look forward to welcoming you!
Andrea, Owner
I love word puzzles and puzzle games like Bananagrams, the Three Little Pigs & Trucky. They go everywhere with us as a family and no holiday or time together is complete without a few rounds to see who is King or Queen of the moment.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I also have fond memories of completing jigsaw puzzles with my mom as a kid and still enjoy seeing her progress on the latest puzzle we have sent her. Puzzling of all kinds provides continuity and allows us to slow down, decompress and reconnect in our fast-based, ever-changing world.
Lewes too reminds us of the importance of family, community and the natural world around us with which we have been entrusted.
The Southerst Family
PUZZLES is a family affair…
Alex, when she is not studying for her Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Delaware, or working for the Biden Institute, can sometimes be found talking to customers about hers and their favorite tea and jigsaw themes.
John is a Junior at Cape Henlopen High School and continues to be a customer favorite and our default store manager of sorts. A wiz at math, we had to convince him to use the cash register and not make change in his head. Not sure what John loves more box puzzles, British candy or fishing off the City Dock in front of the store!
Liz who is a Senior studying elementary education also at University of Delaware just loves helping our youngest shoppers especially. She’s often to be seen driving the family carpool to and from the shops or popping in as she heads off to the beach or to lifeguard.
Suzette
I started working at PUZZLES in 2018. It is a great store in a beautiful location. The selection of jigsaw puzzles is amazing.
People from all over the United States, including people from large cities, tell me this store is superior to any puzzle store they have seen anywhere. The local puzzles, like the one of the Overfalls, the lighthouse ship on the canal very near the store’s location, is a favorite with locals and tourists alike. There are also games available that you can try before purchasing that all ages enjoy–including myself.
When I’m not working, I do jigsaw puzzles at home, or go walking or biking with my husband.
Barbara
My husband and I have been coming to Lewes since 1990. My family has moved a few times but consider Lewes their special place to come to gather with family & friends. Of all the variety of customers that we get visiting PUZZLES, I especially enjoy meeting the families who often tell us how an annual vacation in Lewes is never complete without a special visit to the puzzle store!
Diane
In 2018 I happened upon PUZZLES when visiting with my son who had been living in the Lewes/Rehoboth area for the previous few years. After speaking with Tim, the proprietor, and getting a history lesson of the town of Lewes, its people, his home in the UK, and his love of puzzles, I knew right then that this is where I wanted to live. Originally from Joppa, Maryland, I have been living in Lewes since June 2020. Being the newest member of the PUZZLES family, my favorite moments are those when visitors from all over the world come in and share with us stories from their homeland, their favorite sports teams, or where their adventures will take them next. I love that Lewes is a quaint little town with its diversity of people and its tight-knit community. Under Tim’s tutelage, I am learning much about puzzling. I am drawn to our newest puzzles from the Art & Fable Puzzle Company, which look like real art but also support real artists and charities around the world.