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General First nameCarl A.
LastnameBruhns
GenderMale
CountryUnited States of America
Date of birth1932-04-15
Place of birthNew York, NY (Bronx), United States of America
Date of death2022-05-03
Place of deathWayne, PA, United States of America


About

Carl A. Bruhns Obituary

Carl A. Bruhns (April 15, 1932 - May 3, 2022) Carl A. Bruhns passed away peacefully on May 3, 2022, at the age of 90. Having always been the life of the party, Carl enjoyed the
planning of his recent 90th Birthday Party with family and friends. This celebration included all the things Carl loved most: family and many great stories about tennis and
the steel industry.

Being raised in the Bronx, Carl was a lifelong Yankees fan. Carl’s mother, Marie, passed away when he was 7 years old. Carl and his older sister, Mildred, were raised by his
grandparents, Gottlob and Karoline Jaissle, and his maternal aunts, Helen and Caroline.
One of Carl’s lifelong favorite foods was his grandmother’s German potato salad from the family’s butcher shop on Avenue B in lower Manhattan.

Carl was a natural tennis player from the time he picked up a racquet. He only had one tennis lesson but found much success on the court. As Captain and #1 singles player at
DeWitt Clinton High School, Carl helped the team win the NYC Tennis Team Title in 1949. Carl played in the 1948 and 1949 PSAL (Public School Athletic League) Singles
Semifinals and was a finalist in PSAL Doubles in 1949. Carl was awarded a tennis scholarship to New York University and was the #1 singles and #1 doubles player at NYU
from 1950-1953. He ended his college career with a singles record of 82 wins, 6 losses and doubles record of 66 wins, 0 losses.

In 1952 and 1953, Carl was enrolled at NYU and worked in the mail room at Colorado Fuel & Iron (CF&I) during the school year. However, Carl spent his college summers touring the country playing tennis tournaments, beginning with the National Collegiate Championships and continuing to play throughout the mid-west and into Texas, Arizona, and California. During his playing career, Carl played with multiple notable players including Rod Laver, Tony Trabert, Gardnar Mulloy, Bobby Riggs, Stan Smith and Ilie Nastase. In 1953, Carl traveled to Cuba to play against Havana University and the Cuban Davis Cup team. Each year the players would purchase an old car and drive it until it fell apart. Those cars, and the characters that Carl played with during those summers were the frequent protagonists of the stories Carl shared of these times with his family and friends long after he finished his tennis career. After graduating from NYU in 1954 with a BS in Marketing, Carl enlisted in the Army. While in the Army, Carl had the opportunity to travel the States playing tennis. In 1955, he was stationed in Germany and played for the US Army Europe team in Germany, Austria, France, and England; During this time, his teammate and constant doubles partner was future actor Dabney Colman. That year he was also selected as part of a group that returned to the States to play in the Army Championships. While in Germany, Carl returned to his family’s home village and fondly recalled meeting so many distant aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as see the family’s first butcher shop in Neckartailfingen. After being discharged in December 1955, Carl returned to CF&I where he began his career in sales. While he continued to play tennis, Carl also began organizing tournaments and serving as a linesman, umpire and referee. Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, Carl could often be found courtside at many Davis Cup matches, United States Open Championships, and other major tournaments in the United States. He served as Chairman of the New York State Indoor, Metropolitan Indoor, and Eastern Indoor Championships from 1950-1958. He also served as the Chairman of the Philadelphia Tennis Association Umpires Committee from 1958-1961 and the Middle States Tennis Association Umpires Committee in 1962. In 1958, Carl was transferred to Philadelphia to be closer to his sales territory for CF&I Steel, which included providing wire mesh for the “Blue Route” project. He continued to play tennis, winning the Germantown Cricket Club Doubles Championship in 1961 and being a finalist 1962-1970. In 1962, he met his future wife Nancy, and after only a few months of courtship, they were married in 1963. Carl’s career in sales in the steel industry continued with positions at Thompson Steel Co, Forbes Steel Co, Virginia Wire and Fabric Co, and National Wire Products Corp before starting his own successful business, C. A. Bruhns and Associates in 1985. Carl retired in 2005 but maintained close ties with many associates and friends he met over his 50-year career. Carl and Nancy settled in Wayne, PA to raise their family. Carl was an active member of Wayne Presbyterian Church, serving as an Elder, Steward, and Usher for many years. He also served on the committee of Radnor Boy Scout Troop #284. Carl passed on his love of tennis to Steve, while with Doug he shared many afternoons on the golf course as he had traded in his racquet for a set of lefty-clubs and joined St. Davids Golf Club. While he never had quite as much success playing golf as he did tennis, Carl enjoyed playing golf and lunching with friends at St. Davids well into his 80s. Carl is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Nancy (nee: Evans), his sons Stephen (Kim) and Douglas (Susi), daughter, Elizabeth, and five grandchildren, Robert, John, Parker, Pearson, and Perri.

A few other random memories:
- He played against Jimmy Evert. His daughter Chris Evert was the ball girl.

- Often the top players would seek him out when they visited NYC. They wanted to practice against a lefty in preparation for their next tournament.

Media


Archive statistics Career1953 - 1964
Tournament wins0
Matches20
Match wins4


Tournaments Cheltenham Hardcourts - 1964 Cheltenham Hardcourts - 1962 Middle Atlantic Indoors - 1962 Southern Championships - 1961 Cheltenham Hardcourts - 1961 Seventh Regiment Tennis Club Holiday Invitaion - 1960 Adirondack Invitation - 1959 Brooklyn Indoor - 1957 New Jersey State Championships - 1956 Bergen County - 1956 Hudson Valley - 1956 New York Indoor - 1956 Inter-American - 1956 US Clay Courts - 1953 Western States Championships - 1953 US International Indoor Championships - 1953