Memories of Lauren….
We were fortunate to have Lauren as a part of our family for the past 12 years. We have had great times on ski trips/trips to the cabin, holiday gatherings, boat rides, and just hanging-out at the Marandas homestead. We will miss her dearly.
Our family has so many fond memories of Lauren. It’s very difficult to choose only a few to highlight. That said, as we’ve been thinking and talking about Lauren a lot recently, we have come up with a couple of our favorite memories to share….
“Laurie”
Our sweet 93-year-old Greek grandma (“Yia Yia”) just couldn’t get Lauren’s name right. No matter how many times we corrected her, Lauren was always “Laurie” to Yia Yia. But true to her thoughtfulness and down-to-earth nature, Lauren never was frustrated by this, but only laughed as we tried to convince Yia Yia of Lauren’s actual name. In response, Lauren just told ALL of us to “keep it simple” & call her Laurie…which we often did.
E-Bay Extraordinaire
Lauren was skilled at many things, but we never knew that her E-Bay abilities would personally benefit us to the extent they did. Very unfortunately, last Christmas, one of the little kids accidentally broke a precious dish that was Lauren’s late grandma’s. (The break actually was the fault of one of the parents writing this piece who should’ve been watching their 2-year-old a bit better!) The piece had been in the family for many years, and the break was unfixable. Amidst everyone’s sadness, and without her mom or sister’s knowledge, Lauren just reassured the guilty party that everything would be fine and that she’d find the piece on E-bay so we could replace it. Of course, the particular dish was irreplaceable, but Lauren found the same piece, and we obtained it at a very reasonable price. Now, the family not only has the replacement dish, but has a beautiful reminder of Lauren’s thoughtfulness and ability to comfort people during trying times.
We all agree that Lauren’s time here was much too short. But if there’s one thing that’s of some consolation, it’s clear that Lauren had an incredibly full life. She accomplished more than most people do over the course of a long lifetime. From her extensive travels to her broad educational experience to her long list of close friends and colleagues – and a family (including Sean) – who couldn’t love her more, Lauren definitely made her mark on this earth and experienced more than many people ever do over the course of a lifetime.
Lauren has been a very important part of our lives for many years. We already miss her dearly, but we take comfort in knowing that she had a full and happy life and that she’ll remain an important part of our lives forever.
With all of our love,
Jason, Tiffany and Avalon Marandas
John J., Walleska, Kalista & Marie/1a Marandas,
and Lance, Stephanie, Maranda & Spencer Simons
