here in Mt. Lebanon. Natalie and Mark King, Longuevue Drive,
have two daughters, Ava, 8, and Lana, 6. They attend Markham
School, where their mother went. Mark is a pilot and Natalie
was a flight attendant. "We were headquartered in Atlanta, but
we were always working toward moving back here," says Natalie.

"When we brought Lana home from the hospital, a 'for sale' sign
went up on our Atlanta home.”
The Dimperio's third daughter, Emily, lives on Kewanna Avenue
with her husband, Fred Gustave, and their sons Philip, 3, and A.J.,
4 months. Emily loves that Mt. Lebanon has remained a walking
community. Fred adds: “Kids play outside in Mt. Lebanon. It is
like a Norman Rockwell painting. And I mean that in a good way.

The homes are architecturally pleasing. We love the schools and
all of the activities.”
The Dimperios Joe and Zee Dimperio, Parkway Drive,
Some of Joe and Zee’s friends have downsized, or even left Mt.

moved here 40 years ago. “We loved Mt. Lebanon since our Lebanon. So what is keeping them here? Joe smiles and answers
first day,” remembers Joe, a member of Mt. Lebanon’s historic “If we don’t feel like a drive when we go out to eat, we have terrific
preservation board and retired educator who recently served as choices in the heart of Uptown or Beverly Road. What we have is
interim superintendent for Peters Township.

Like a suburban community with a town center. Why would we ever
many young couples starting out, the
leave?" Dimperios first lived in an apartment near
The Dimperios love the fact that Mt. Lebanon
the Hoodridge area. “We would take
walks, noticing the nice homes and
is a suburb but has a town center. Upper left,
lawns. Everyone we met recom-
Grandparents Zee and Joe Dimperio. Seated
mended we buy a place in Mt.

below them, Mark King, Ava King, Natalie
Lebanon,” says Zee. Their first
King and Lana King (on floor) On the sofa
home was on Seneca Drive.

are: Philip Gustave, Fred Gustave, and
Then, in 1974, they fell in
Emily Gustave with baby A.J. Gustave.

love with their current home
on Parkway. “It had a center
hall like we wanted, a level
back yard, and my wife and
I looked at each other
and said, ‘This is
it,’” says Joe. The
Dimperios have
three daughters.

Stephanie lives
in Bal Harbour,
Florida. The
other two live
home every day from school for lunch. The Schultz house was a
popular spot for their classmates, some of whom lived too far to
walk home for lunch. “George and I initially moved here for the
great school system, but we quickly fell in love with the friendliness
of the people—and the way the main street is the nucleus of the
community. I shopped at Joseph Horne (then located Uptown)
until the day they closed. And today, my friends and I enjoy the
cafes, the sidewalks, and Music for Mt. Lebanon." Having Ken's
and my children, Christian, 15, and Andrew, 8, in town on
Mohawk Drive and watching them grow up, has been a delight
for Lillian. As long as the weather isn’t too severe, you can spot
her at Christian’s high school football games or track meets, or at
Andrew’s soccer or baseball games.

The Dimperios
www.mtlebanon.org 49



The Rudoys Judi Rudoy, Kingsberry Circle, has her uncle to
thank for introducing her to Mt. Lebanon. He had lived here for
a long time, and was like another father to Judi, whose own dad
died when she was only two. Although her family lived in Squirrel
Hill, Judi remembers visiting her Mt. Lebanon cousins and aunt
and uncle as some of the best times of her childhood. After she
met and married Israel, “Iz.” They tried city living for two years,
but being a school teacher, Judi wanted to get settled into a Mt.

Lebanon address and close to relatives before their first child, Paul,
was ready for school.

“For raising a family, Mt. Lebanon is wonderful. There is lots of
culture, it’s family-oriented, the cost of living is reasonable and I
think it’s a good place for young kids and also for teenagers,” Judi
says. She and Iz, Mt. Lebanon residents since 1962, raised three
children here. Their daughter Jodi Roberts lives in Fox Chapel.

But both of the Rudoy's other children not only live in Mt.

Lebanon, but married people from Mt. Lebanon.

Paul and Debbie Rudoy, Dillon Drive, have two children, Beth,
18, and Matthew, 14. Bruce and Holly Rudoy, Mayfair Drive,
have two children, Madeline, 11, and Zachary, 9. All in all, Maddy
and Zach have five cousins in Mt. Lebanon, three on their mom’s
side and two on their dad’s. “When all of us were in elementary
school, and Zach was in preschool, our moms would take us up to
Chicago Pizza for lunch. The kids would have our own table. We
would have the best time,” Maddy recalls excitedly.

Debbie is pleased that Dr. Robert Rosen and Mt. Lebanon
High School's Evening Theatre Company can be part of her
daughter, Beth’s, experience, as it was hers. In high school, Debbie
had major roles in both Alice in Wonderland and Our Town. The
posters with her picture still hang in the lobby of the theatre.

All three generations of this Rudoy family think Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon’s excellent schools were a draw for the Rudoy family.

Rear: Bruce, Holly, Judi, Iz, Beth, Paul and Debbie Rudoy.

Front: Maddy, Zach and Matthew Rudoy.

schools have remained consistently good, and in fact have gotten
better. Says Paul, “The school system provides so many more
opportunities than when we were young. It gives kids a chance
to flourish.”
Holly likes the way children in her Mayfair Drive neighbor-
hood, and other neighborhoods she drives through, actually play
outdoors together. “Whether it’s basketball, tag, or street hockey,
kids still do that in Mt. Lebanon, like we did growing up. I don’t
see that going on in other communities.”
Judi, who once owned Gifted on Washington Road (now
located on Cochran Road), says she is very happy about all the
commercial development Uptown. Iz credits the municipality's
efforts to provide ample parking with encouraging both new busi-
nesses and the customers on whom they depend.

The Colbys Jody Blanning Colby and her two sisters were born
here in Mt. Lebanon. They lived here with their parents, Alleyne
and Joseph Blanning, while their father worked for U.S. Steel
Corp. Their father's job moved them away from Mt. Lebanon,
but a seed was planted that would eventually grow and bring
them back. Fast forward to Allegheny College, where Jody met
her husband, Dale, now a Mt. Lebanon commissioner. A fam-
ily friend who lived here recommended that the young couple
settle in Mt. Lebanon, so they moved here in 1970. “The school
system was the big draw,” says Jody, who is retired after teaching
first grade for 18 years at Foster School. Jody and Dale, Fruithurst
Drive, have two grown children. Bryce is married and lives near
Albany, NY. Brienne and her husband, Matt Sembrat, live on
Pueblo Drive with their children, Colby, 6, and Ty, 4.

Around 1972, Jody’s parents, who are now deceased, and her
sister, Lynne, moved back to Mt. Lebanon from Gary, Indiana.

Finally, in 1978, Jody’s other sister, Harriet, and her husband, Jim
Ross, also moved to Mt. Lebanon on Sunrise Drive. “To all of us,
coming back here was like coming home,” says Jody, thinks Mt.

Lebanon has a lot going for it, in particular its focus on quality
The Rudoys
50 mtl • january/february 2009