Contribute to Children of the Night in memory of Lauren

In memory of

Lauren "Pinky, LBoogie, Lars" Marisa Benkovic

Coplay, PA

January 16, 1981 - May 4, 2020

Jan 16, 1981 - May 4, 2020

Help keep everyone in the know by sharing this memorial website.

Share

Please consider a contribution to Children of the Night.

Show your support: Contribute

My cousin and best friend Lauren was an avid lover of those less fortunate, most of all, those marred and scarred by living on the streets, using sex as a means to attain basic essentials of survival like safe place to sleep, food, drink, ability to use private bathroom and shower, wash clothes and if need be, purchase replacements. Sadly my cousin also suffered from a lethal and life-threatening addiction to heroin, as I'd suffered from also, and all drugs since we both were only 11. We were the glorified addicts, the proud dope junkies, not at all afraid to fight, voice ourselves, disrespect our mothers as they disrespected us first. We were really just lost. For 25 years, my cousin Lauren and I would get high in her bathroom/laundry room, where she grew up being forced to live in, and as the story goes, eventually succumb to the chemical inside of...hidden, locked from the inside, because we liked it that way. I know that my cousin did not take her own life, and I am well aware she was on a mission to do just one more whatever. She hated home, hated her mother, fought with her mom, I couldn't even count—up until the night of May 4, 2020, when she was discovered in the laundry room, a shade of grey only an unfortunately lifeless human body could become—hardened, rigor mortis already set in motion, her youngest child jumping over her body, crying, "Wake up, mommy. Mommy, mommy, wake up!" Sadly, there wasn't any saving her. She would, in fact, not ever have the fighting chance to open those beautiful brown eyes again. At only 39 years, 108 days old, the body of a wild gypsy rose flowered rock star I met in the spring of 1995, who'd immediately find it familiar to call me her cousin, and who, in the final two months of her life, of all the people in the world.. that I was definitely, "favorite". Lauren Marisa Benkovic, I will forever miss and love you and will always say your name, speak to you all day like in real life, and keep you connected to your roots—but, most importantly—I WON'T EVER STOP TELLING YOUR STORY. If it ever garners any monies, if any donations are ever collected, I pray they would get a charitable event or service that became a support to those afflicted by the dangers of the streets, the criminal underworld of every city, of drugs and alcohol, of parties and of course, sex—whether a choice that they made to survive or a forced act that they were trafficked into illegally, may all of those children be saved in her name. It would be called Cousins Forever—a living fund, timeless, revolving, helping children of the night in honor of one child who had not ever grown up, who hadn't the actual chance or desire, as it was more pleasure, surely I thought the same, to live inside of the suffering. After losing Lauren, I won't ever allow myself to go that far. The band Gin Blossoms said it best, "Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down...But not that far." Contribute to Children of the Night

All contributions made to Children of the Night through Ever Loved will be sent with the designation, “Another type of charity event”, at Tommy Piro's request.

Be the first to contribute in Lauren's memory and make a difference.

Give to Children of the Night

Get notified when new photos, stories and other important updates are shared.