Lola Snow, Of Lola's Tattoos, Dies February 4

Lois Esperian, also known as Lola Snow, owner of Montauk’s one-and-only tattoo parlor, died on February 4 in North Carolina after battling stage four breast cancer. She was 68.

Originally from New Jersey, Ms. Esperian opened Lola’s Tattoos in 2012 and soon became an honorary local in the Montauk community. She was a member of the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee, where she displayed her passion for preserving the natural beauty of the region.

Her influence on the tattoo industry reached far beyond Montauk and New Jersey, said Kim Esperian, Ms. Esperian’s daughter.

Her mother was 24, and in the midst of opening her first tattoo business, when she had to undergo a serious cancer operation. At the same time, the younger Ms. Esperian said, New Jersey was attempting to pass a bill to prohibit the operation of tattoo parlors in the state.

“She left the hospital and went to court, fought and won … she didn’t want tattoo businesses underground any longer,” Ms. Esperian said.

She said her mother ultimately led the fight to legalize tattooing in the country by promoting instrument sterilization and laws that enforced it.

“She saved millions of lives … she was a pioneer, a legacy,” said the tattoo artist’s daughter.

Ms. Esperian said her mother also changed the lives of those around her and became a confidante to many over the years. Many young people in particular would flock to the studios to meet the eccentric soul, and left with a new outlook on life.

While going through her mother’s possessions, Ms. Esperian said, she uncovered hundreds of letters from different families thanking her mother for helping their children steer away from drugs and alcohol.

“A lot of families are very grateful,” she said. “One of them said, ‘You saved my son’s life.’”

Alec Sidle, Ms. Esperian’s stepson, said she had found joy in officiating countless marriages.

“My wife and I were married by her in the backyard of the house I grew up in,” he said. “She touched a lot of people.”

Ms. Esperian is survived by a daughter, Kim Esperian; two stepsons, Alec and Hershel Sidle; and a stepgrandaughter, Jaqueline Sidle.

A service will be held at the Montauk Firehouse, Kim Esperian said, although a date has not yet been set.