Ethel "Beni" Bernice Borders

Beni Borders (Ethel Bernice Latimer) was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on July 9, 1947 to the late Lois (Sinor) and Al Latimer. Beni passed away peacefully in her home in Shawnee, Oklahoma on September 9, 2023 with her husband, Dan Borders, and children, Vinny Trupia and Allyson Robinson. 
Beni spent her early years with her dad as well as in a blended family with her mom and stepdad, Roy Laudette, older brother, the late Jim Latimer, and three younger siblings, Pat, Vicki, and Tammie Laudette. She also had two stepsiblings, Barbara Sapieha and the late Mike Laudette.  Being in a military family, Beni attended multiple schools finishing at Wurzburg High School in Germany. 
Beni lived a full life. After high school she traveled, worked, and dated until meeting a charming man, the late Vincent Trupia, in Atlanta, Georgia. Beni and Vinnie married in New York in 1981 and had two children, Vinny and Allyson. 
Life shifted dramatically when Beni moved back to Lawton as a single mom in 1984. Always a hard worker, she provided for her kids the best she could. Raising them well was her top priority. She was so supportive, attending games and cheering them on to victory. She was generous and hospitable, always giving out of her lack.
In 2010 Beni became a grandma (YaYa), and she married her best friend, Daniel Borders. After meeting initially in 1987 and dating for a time, Dan and Beni spent the next twenty plus years living mostly separate lives. Together for the last twelve plus years, they enjoyed grandbabies and retirement while enduring the complications of a stage four lung and neck cancer diagnosis followed by years of treatment and care. Beni was courageous and determined. Her family enjoyed many more years with her because of that.
Her grandchildren, Carter, Claire, Callan, and Conley Robinson, know her as YaYa: Great gift-giver, best junk food getter, good checkers player, supporter of dragon games and in-home restaurants made out of old boxes, great to sit with and visit, and best at cooking red sauce. They will miss the visits, watching TV, spending Halloween trick-or-treating then handing out candy with (then eventually for) YaYa. We will miss her conversation, her stories and advice, and how she and Dan would lovingly bicker with each other, but we are so glad she is no longer in pain. The striving has ceased, and she is at peace.
Beni is missed dearly by her husband, Dan, son, Vinny, daughter, Allyson, son-in-law, Kyle, four grandbabies, Carter, Claire, Callan, and Conley, sisters, Pat Held and Barbara Sapieha, many nieces and nephews including Ray Held, Brad and Kary Held, Scott and Adriana Maxwell, and Lori Minard, great nieces and nephews, and lifelong friends.

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