Lydia Gomez Ruiz was born on February 24, 1949, in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to Carmen Maria Ruiz y Santiago and Jose Soler Gomez. Lydia was the second of 17 children born to Carmen Ruiz. Lydia's family moved from Puerto Rico to New York in the early 1950s. She lived in Brooklyn where she attended Clara Barton High School. Later in life, Lydia lived in the Bronx, and Ridgewood, Queens before moving to Puerto Rico. She returned to New York to live in Spanish Harlem for a time before moving back to Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
Lydia worked for and retired from the New York City Board of Education where she held the position of a paraprofessional. She is survived by her husband Hector Lopez, four children from two previous relationships, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her family and friends will miss Lydia immensely. May she rest in eternal peace.
