Heidi Rodale, 70, died Dec. 6, 2023, unexpectedly of natural causes in her home in Miami Beach, Fla. She was the daughter of the late Robert and Ardath Rodale.

She graduated from Emmaus High School in 1971 and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University. She also attended the Stanford Professional Publishing Course and a course in leading family businesses at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.

With a creative spirit, she contributed to many aspects of the Rodale family business as well as to the local community. At Rodale Inc., she served on the board of directors and served many roles as a magazine editor. She was the publisher of Rodale’s Fitness Swimmer, founded the Rodale General Store - and her most proud achievement was to lead the publishing of “Our Roots Grow Deep: The Story of Rodale,” a history of the Rodale family and its business.

Profoundly impacting the community, she was a member of the board of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, Trexlertown, founded by her father Robert Rodale. She helped with the planning and development of the Rodale Aquatic Center at Cedar Crest College. She led the development of the Rodale Inc. child care center and kindergarten which opened in 1990, providing high-quality programs for Rodale employee children, grandchildren as well as community children.

A worldly person, she was often traveling to experience the diversity of culture, art, spirituality and people around the world. She was a talented painter, who cared deeply for her craft, spending countless hours sketching and painting subjects found around her home.

Lately, she dedicated all of her effort into appreciating and spending time with her loving grandson, Luca.

She is survived by her loving children, Alexandra Fierra and her wife, Mina, Andrew Norelli and his wife, Lina; grandson, Luca; siblings, Heather and her partner, Carl Barndt, Maria, Anthony and his wife, Florence; many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents; brother, David.

Contributions may be made to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (https://thevelodrome.com/) in her honor.

A service honoring her life will take place 3 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes, 1629 W. Hamilton St., Allentown. A calling hour will be held 2 to 3 p.m. Dec. 28 in the funeral home.