Lola Snow: She Loved Everything Montauk

This is all about Lola Snow. She was one tough passionate woman who loved Montauk’s intrinsic beauty and felt a responsibility to be a protectorate of it. However she is now gone and will no longer be able to feel Montauk because Lola Snow has lost her battle against stage 4 cancer.

Lola, who also owned Lola’s Tattoo’s in Montauk, was of a strong in your face New Jersey stock as is her surviving daughter Kim Esperian. Together for years they acted as the gatekeepers of Montauk, policing beaches and voicing opposition to all things harmful to Montauk. Lola succumbed to pneumonia in a hospital in North Carolina after a three-day battle before her kidneys quit on her.

Lola was very proud of the way her daughter Kim “slaved” to make the Gurney’s Beach Bakery a loved brand on the east end. When the new Gurney’s management killed and destroyed the brand, Kim was cast away after giving most of her adult life to the brand in the form of taking orders, driving the delivery trucks, promoting the product and always keeping the morale high. She was lost after being dismissed, but then she had a more important job, taking care of her mom. As Lola, waged her winner take all battle with cancer, Kim was right by her side fighting it too. I am proud of these two women.

Years back when I was writing stories for the now defunct Montauk Pioneer/Dan’s Papers and living alone in Ditch Plains they kept a watchful eye on me. Case in point, at 2 am one summer night my VW had a blowout on the Nepeaque stretch of 27E. While fixing the flat my car jack broke. The town police assisted in getting me road service and changed the tire. The next day there was a knock on my door. It was Lola and her partner Joel. They had located a VW useable car jack and presented it to me, 14 hours after the one I had broke. I am not sure how they even knew.

Now I write this goodbye to Lola’s spirits. She gave a commitment to give her all to the preservation of her soul, tempered so brilliantly in Montauk. Her always-soulful wise words and council have nurtured a whole community in Montauk and there is no doubt Lola appreciated their love

Lastly I want to again say Thank You to Lola who did get to read my previous piece about her. There is a beauty in writing a tribute like this. I get to very publicly thank and say goodbye to Lola. Yes it was always “all about Lola,” and so much will always be about Lola moving forward.