Monday, July 19, 2021
The Last Student
We met Dr. Buss, as he is affectionately known in our family, at a concert of the Penn State Symphony Orchestra in which our daughter, Katie, was performing. We met again and sat together at her next concert and soon after we “adopted him” and were taking him out for pizza (which he hadn’t had in years) as well as luncheons at his favorite, local restaurants. As we drove through town on the way to one destination or another, he would point out his old neighborhood and reminisce aloud. When the weather was inclement, we made dinner in his apartment. And, of course, he was always up to attend a concert – where he was a campus celebrity. As Katie neared the completion of her Master of Music degree, she began applying for doctorate programs. One evening, over a pizza and wine dinner at his apartment, Dr. Buss coached her on the interview process. His eyes sparkled with excitement the whole time. It was clear that he was once again, in his element. After these coaching sessions, Katie was accepted into the program of her choice is now in her last year of studies for her Doctorate of Musical Arts. We had a special celebratory dinner and it was hard to tell who was more proud; Katie to announce her acceptance or Dr. Buss for the success of another of his students.
I last saw Dr. Buss to celebrate his 98th birthday. We sat at the dinner table in his apartment and shared a steak dinner, a bottle of wine and his special request, coconut cream pie. I gave him an update on Katie’s progress with her studies. Most important, I noted how remarkable it was that at 98 years old, he was still having a huge impact on students. As a family, we are honored to be part of such a remarkable legacy. We are grateful to have known him.
The Rudnik Family
Jim, Sheila, Katie and Daniel and Kristina.
