Christina M. Richie

Christina M. Richie, 76, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 10, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts. A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Christina lived a life centered on faith, family, and a lifelong dedication to caring for and educating young children.

Christina was born in Bethlehem on February 2, 1950, at St. Luke's Hospital to the late William and Margaret (Behum) Gasdaska. She grew up on the South Side of Bethlehem and attended grade school at Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish School.

After graduating from Bethlehem Catholic High School in 1968, Christina earned her degree in education from East Stroudsburg University in 1972. On August 19, 1972, she married Sami M. Richie, a graduate of Lehigh University. Together, they shared 54 years of marriage and built a life grounded in love, family, and enduring companionship.

Teaching was central to Christina's life. After working in preschool and elementary classrooms, she founded Discovery Preschool and Childcare, where she taught, encouraged, and cared for generations of children and families.

Christina and Sami spent several years in the Chicago area before settling in Connecticut, where they raised their family. Following retirement, they returned home to Bethlehem, where Christina was once again close to family, longtime friends, and the community that had always remained important to her.

Christina found great joy in the simple things she loved most: tending her garden, cooking for family and friends, and spending time with those closest to her. Her Catholic faith remained an important part of her life. She was a faithful parishioner of Incarnation of Our Lord Parish, a church with deep ties to her family history and the place where she was baptized, educated, and married during its years as Saints Cyril and Methodius Slovak Catholic Church.

Christina will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her husband, Sami Richie; her children, Christopher Richie and Jenna Richie; her daughter-in-law, Samia Richie; her brothers, William Gasdaska Jr. and Charles Gasdaska; and her beloved grandchildren, Adam and Mason.

A calling hour will be held 9-10 am Saturday October 3, 2026 at Incarnation of Our Lord Parish 617 Pierce St. Bethlehem, PA 18015 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial 10 am . The burial will be held at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Cemetery in Bethlehem.
Memorial contributions may be made to the church.