Ladue's Marsha J. Rusnack: A Woman of Achievement

It was at a very tender age when Ladue’s Marsha J. Rusnack first learned the true meaning of altruism.

It was back at State University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, PA) where she met her husband Bill, now the two happily married 46 years.

Rusnack was one of the women in her sorority who liked to get involved in all kinds of campus activities.

“I still remember it well. We had this gigantic garage sale, but we held it indoors to raise money for charity. That’s how I got started,” said Rusnack, wife of an oil industry CEO.

Rusnack and her husband have traveled the world in pursuit of his professional career. “I think we’ve lived in 14 different houses, I lost count,” said Rusnack.

What she’s done in St. Louis is quite notable. She’s thrown herself into a wide variety of charities and non-profits, lending her time, talents and industry to many notable causes.

She volunteers for the Variety Club. She’s on the professional boards at the St. Louis Art Museum; the St. Louis Zoo; the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Mercy Health Foundation.

So when she got the call earlier this spring that she would be a 2012 Woman of Achievement recipient, she was “pleasantly surprised.”

The Class of 2012 (10 members) will be recognized as Women of Achievement luncheon on May 17 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Clayton. “I was stunned to get that call.There’s other things I’d probably rather be doing that day,” she said modestly.

Rusnack is being recognized for outstanding contributions to cultural enrichment.

Bill wouldn’t miss this event for anything. He’s cutting short a business trip to Latin America to honor his wife and the rest of the women.

Giving to the community is her passion. It helps her immensely to stay focused and organized.

Fourteen years ago, Bill was tabbed president of then Clark Oil (bought out by Hen House Restaurants and now mostly out of business) and the two moved to St. Louis from San Marino, CA. Bill spent nearly his entire professional career traveling abroad and working for the Arco Oil & Gas Co.

St. Louis is presently the center of their universe. May will be incredibly busy month for Rusnack. Her son Douglas and daughter in law Rachel and two young children are relocating back to Southern California from Australia. Douglas is a MRI radiologist and will set up a practice in Manhattan Beach. “This area is most like Australia and I’ll be watching the children while they move in,” she said.

The Rusnacks maintain an apartment on the upper east side of Manhattan in New York, four blocks from Central Park. Their daughter Susan, married, no children is a surgeon and lives nearby in New Jersey.

Bill’s successful career in petroleum has allowed Marsha the freedom to do extensive volunteer work. “I’ve been volunteering ever since those early days as a Brownie troop leader and den mother,” she recalled.

She is most proud of her recognition from the Variety Club. In 2009, along with Hugh Grant, CEO of Monsanto, (Man of the Year),  she was recognized as the Woman of the Year by that volunteer organization. “They do such great work. They get kids out of their wheel chairs and vertical,” she said proudly.

As well, she served as co-chair of the annual Mardi Gras celebration for the Mercy Foundation. Most of the funds raised supports Mercy’s free JFK community health clinic.

This summer, she and Bill return to Pittsburgh, her hometown for their 50th high school class reunion. “Where did all those years go?” she wondered.
 
The Rusnacks recently returned from a fascinating trip to Cuba with other members of the Botanical Gardens.

Pundents sometimes say when someone comes to St. Louis, it takes 20 years to be accepted in social circles. With Rusnack’s non-stop commitment to volunteering for a wide range of  non-profits and social service agencies, surely she will get  a waiver for the remaining six (years.)