Too busy to grow old
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Story & photos: cindy o. herman
he Rudnitskys might grow old someday, but now is not a good time. With family activities, community service and power walks, aging just can’t seem to find a spot on their agenda. “We’re both curious,” said Raven Rudnitsky, sitting at the dining table in the Selinsgrove home she and Marv have shared for 40 years. “We want to read and travel and learn. There’s just no limit to learning and growing.” A good part of that learning and growing takes place in what Raven calls their attempt to “give back.” They’re very involved with St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, which they described as open and affirming and very welcoming. One of the church’s most important ministries is a free event for children called “Messy Church,” where their daughter Kimmie Burkhart follows their example of volunteering. Marv sings in the church choir and also, with their daughter Amy Caron, in the Susquehanna Valley Chorale, where Raven is on the board of directors. “Marv has a beautiful tenor voice,” Raven said, explaining with a smile that singing isn’t her strong point, but, “Amy would say I’m the best appreciator.” She also appreciates good health, so she is a patientcommunity representative on Geisinger’s MyCode Ethics Advisory Council. From the time she and Marv moved to Selinsgrove in the early 1970s they’ve found ways to serve and strengthen their community. Marv was a founder of the Selinsgrove Area Youth Foundation, now called the Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation. The group awards $40,000 in scholarships to Selinsgrove Area students every year. Both Rudnitskys are members of the Selinsgrove Area Rotary Club, where Marv is the Sergeant of Arms and Raven supplies the jokes. 4
february 2022 | Forever Young
“They love it,” Marv said of her humor. He also oversees the local International Exchange Student Program, and Raven is the exchange student counselor. Over the years they have welcomed a number of exchange students into their own home, from lands as far-reaching as Japan, Germany, Indonesia and Argentina. Because they met and fell in love while attending Penn State in the 1960s, they both serve on Penn State’s Liberal Arts Development Council. As a testament to the respect they hold for each other, Marv convinced the council to include Raven even though she was not in the Liberal Arts College. “I suggested if they could get Raven to join me, it would be a better council,” Marv said. “And they found that to be true.”
Helping their hometown
Marv graduated in 1964 with a degree in Arts and Letters, received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1967 then went on to found RHP Law Group, in Selinsgrove. Raven graduated in 1966 with a degree in English/ Education and, after graduate school at Bucknell University, opened a private family therapy practice. Her warmth and determination shine when she talks about the years their home was a safe haven for women in abusive relationships. When someone asked if they were afraid of retaliation by angry husbands, Raven seemed surprised. “They needed a place to stay, and that was all that mattered,” she said. It was the same attitude that caused her and a few other women to start the Susquehanna Valley Preschool when her own girls needed a preschool education experience
