Lydia "Stella" Gonzalez Haddad

April 18, 1949 - September 15, 2021

Lydia “Stella” Gonzalez Haddad of Bethlehem, died Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Muhlenberg Campus. Born in Patillas, Puerto Rico she was the daughter of the late Lucia (Huertas) and Venancio Gonzalez. Lydia was a vivacious personality- bright, colorful, and full of life. She was so proud to be one of the first Latino immigrant children from Bethlehem to attend and graduate college. She went on to get her masters in reading. She retired from the Bethlehem Area School District as a reading specialist. She had a deep passion for exposing children to literature and teaching them to read. She believed in supporting the local Hispanic community. She loved books, travel, art, and nature. She had a lifelong love of New England, was deeply devoted as a mother and aunt, and known by her friends and family for being a great storyteller and excellent cook She was a true force and will be deeply missed. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Chia Haddad wife of Benjamin Bleier, son, George M. Haddad III, brothers, Hector, Jose, Louis, David, and Miguel Gonzalez, sisters, Carmen Sweitzer, Annette Zito, and Magaliz Goldenberg, and two granddaughters, Shoshana and Eliana Bleier. Services are private and at the convenience of the family. Arrangements Connell Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made in Lydia’s name to the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Lydia died of COVID-19. Please consider getting vaccinated if you have not already. This terrible virus has claimed the loved ones of too many.