Jefferson Vitelli

Jefferson Blake Vitelli, 76, of Bethlehem, passed away on August 21, 2023 in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. He was the beloved husband of Carol McHugh-Vitelli with whom he shared 52 years of marriage. Born in Trenton, NJ, he was the son of the late James R. and Alice (Carter) Vitelli. He graduated from Lafayette College and later received his M.Ed. from Lehigh University. He worked as a mental health therapist and counselor for many years. He was last employed by Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems as a therapist and Clinical Coordinator. He retired 1/31/2019. Jeff loved spending time with his family, swimming at the Y, practicing Tai Chi, playing his guitar, bird watching, and taking long walks with his dog, A'bram. He was multi-talented as a musician, songwriter, poet, writer and artist. Many of his talents were directed toward healing the planet. He was passionate about working for peace, justice and equality. He felt a deep stewardship of the planet, was a protector of all animals, and felt a deep connection to nature. He was a member of the LePoCo Peace Center, and the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society and of several other professional organizations. In addition to his wife, Carol, he is survived by a daughter, Chandra Vitelli Bleice (Jonathan); brother, Stephen Vitelli; sisters, Karen Vitelli, State Sen. Eloise Vitelli ( Robert Kalish), Lillie Vitelli (Donald Mansius); 2 grandchildren, Gabrielle and Andrew Bleice; sister-in-law, Patricia McHugh Shirock, nephews, John, Jim, Sam, Will, and Alex; niece, Shona; great-nephews, Jeremy, Teo and Zenner; great-niece, Lauren and 2 great-grandnieces. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to James Funeral Home Bethlehem. A service will be held on Saturday, September 9, at 11 AM St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 3900 Freemansburg Avenue, Easton PA 18015. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Pocono Wildlife & Education Center, 1161 Cherry Drive, Stroudsburg, PA 18360.