October 2021 - 33

ship jobs at the Chicago Duplicate Bridge Club.
" Growing up at home, we played gin rummy and family
games, but I had no interest at all in bridge. Then one day,
I felt I really wanted to do something together with my
dad. "
Bruce, 83, now acknowledges his son's leapfrogging
over his bridge expertise. " I have to admit I am old-school
bridge, " noting he strives hard to accommodate all the
new bells and whistles pushed by his son. Adds Bruce,
who avoids online play, " I just do not know a lot yet, " but is
eager to learn more. Meanwhile, Cory plays online three
times a week and has done so frequently for years.
Grues shine with 'superstar'
David Langer and father, Paul
been a " feel good " relationship, with David explaining,
" my father and I enjoy playing together very much, and I
owe him a lot. "
Like so many, David expresses his great enthusiasm
for the return to face-to-face games in clubs. " It is very
uplifting to see so many people that I haven't seen since
the lockdown. " David plays in the clubs six days a week
and BBO twice a week.
David says, " I encourage everyone who loves the game
and has not yet returned to F2F to consider doing so as
soon as you feel ready. " Think of " entertainment and
intellectual stimulation, " adds David. " There's nothing
quite like an in-person duplicate bridge game. "
(Ed.: These interviews were conducted before the surge of
the COVID delta variant.)
'Wanted to do something with dad'
Also enjoying playing together in person once again are
the Chicago father-son pair, Bruce and Cory Perkers, with
Cory, 33, taking over director duties and assuming leaderTom
Grue and son, Joe.
Meanwhile, there are any number of off-the-chart
successful father-son partnerships with Midwest ties,
including the Grues of Minnesota. That pairing, of course,
is led by now-New Yorker Joe, the 40-year-old son with
an astonishing 40,000 masterpoints, naturally described
as the " superstar " of the Gopher State, with a large national
following.
Joe, winner of the 2017 Bermuda Bowl and holder of
numerous other NABC titles, has for years been revered
as a world-class player.
As expected, his father, Tom, 74, of Apple Valley, a St.
Paul suburb, bursts with pride at the success of his son's
bridge prowess and remembers his son's early interest in
learning the basics from his late grandmother, Marguerite
Grue, herself a Minnesota bridge champ.
Whenever his son returned home to the Twin Cities
from national tournaments, " Joe would insist, before doing
anything else, his first stop would be to visit Grandma
in the nursing home " where they would talk bridge. Joe's
mom, Sue, also talks bridge rather well, relying on her
years of experience as a bridge cruise director.
As one of Joe's partners put it, " He's so talented, creative,
smart and always can sense what is in hands that
most other players cannot. "
Bruce Perkers and son, Cory
October 2021 | Bridge Bulletin |
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October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2021
