Selma Marion Podolsky Ryave
May 7, 1927 - August 25, 2025

SELMA MARION PODOLSKY RYAVE: (May 7, 1927 – August 25, 2025)

Selma was born May 7, 1927, in Pittsburgh, PA, to Sol and Esther (Lipsitz) Podolsky. Selma graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and completed one year of college at Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1945, she married Joseph Dorn; daughter Rosalyn was born in Los Angeles, CA. Returning to Pittsburgh, daughter Cheryl was born in 1949; they divorced shortly thereafter. In 1954, Selma married Samuel Ryave, and the new family moved to Stanton Heights. 

Selma’s husband of 41 years, Sam, daughter Cheryl, sister Leona Green, and brother Irving predeceased her. She is survived by her daughter, Rosalyn Richman (PonJola Coney), brother Malvern Powell (AnnaBelle), three nieces, three nephews, 13 great nieces and nephews, 28 great great nieces and nephews, and countless cousins and friends. 

Selma worked as a bookkeeper, first at Temple Sinai, then at Hunt Botanical Library of Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University). While working full time, she resumed her college education, earning a B.A. at CMU, followed by 2 master’s degrees from Pitt, which led to a second career as school librarian at Knoxville Middle School until she retired in 1992. 

A “round-the-world Semester at Sea cruise” with a fellow teacher ignited Selma’s passion for travel. After retiring, dozens of Elderhostel educational travel adventures took her across the US and around the globe, visiting more than 60 countries in all. She served as a Volunteer for Israel, working as a laundry aide for the IDF.

At home, Selma became a volunteer usher at numerous theaters, seeing plays, musicals, concerts, and other performances as she “worked.” She joined friends at the Squirrel Hill JCC for bridge games and exercise classes. She resumed her “studies” with Osher Lifelong Learning classes at CMU. Friday evenings nearly always found her at Temple Sinai. Everywhere, Selma was happy when she had at least three activities a day and even happier when her activities involved family. 

In 2015, Selma left her beloved Pittsburgh to live with her daughter, first in Richmond, VA, then in Las Cruces, NM, and, finally, Greensboro, NC. For the past 10 years, connected by her computer, she kept in touch by email, took Osher classes, and watched Temple Sinai’s services on Zoom. 

Services at Temple Sinai 5505 Forbes Avenue, Squirell Hill on Friday, August 29, at 1 PM. Visitation at Temple one hour prior to service (12 Noon - 1 PM), which Selma considered her second family. Interment Temple Sinai Memorial Park. Shiva will be held at Temple Sinai as well. Contributions in Selma’s memory may be made to Temple Sinai (https://www.templesinaipgh.org/donation), where two funds have been established by the family (the Selma and Samuel Ryave Children’s Library Fund and the CREATeS Fund, named for daughter Cheryl), or a charity of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc. www.schugar.com

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