Daily Voice
By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice
Compassionate. Courageous. Charismatic.
This is how Lauren Gerardo-Marotta is being remembered.
The 37-year-old New Providence mother died Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Morristown Medical Center after what her family described as “a courageous 7-year battle with leukemia." Lauren fought “not for herself, but for more time with the people she loved most,” according to her obituary on the Paul Ippolito Funeral Home website.
Lauren graduated from New Providence High School in 2006 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University, her obituary says. She later obtained a Master’s in Applied Psychology: Applied Behavior Analysis from Rider University.
Lauren worked as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at The Uncommon Thread, specializing in early intervention for children with autism — work her family called both “her calling and her passion.” Her presence “lit up every room,” and she was remembered for her laughter, love of singing, and “natural joy,” according to the obituary.
She is survived by her husband, Chris Marotta; son, Angelo Marotta; stepdaughter, Adrianna Marotta; parents, Robert and Patricia Gerardo; brothers Michael (Shannon) and Matthew (Katherine) Gerardo; and nephews Conor and Patrick.
Services were held Sunday, Aug. 10 and Monday, Aug. 11.
A GoFundMe organized by her husband had raised $22,000 as of Monday, Aug. 11.
“Lauren’s life was defined by compassion, courage, and her ability to lift the spirits of everyone around her,” the fundraiser says. Donations will benefit “the care teams and communities that were closest to her heart” and “the children and families she dedicated her career to serving.”
Click here to view the campaign for Lauren's family and here for her complete obituary.
