IN LOVING MEMORY

Roma Pierro-Wolf

A man with glasses making a surprised face, a smiling woman, and a small, fluffy dog behind metal bars.

On Wednesday February 7, our 15 year old, 8lb “Morkie,” our amazing Roma Pierro-Wolf left us.

She passed away peacefully and painlessly with us, wrapped in Jen’s arms, after having suffered from kidney failure. 

This world will never be the same.

Small fluffy dog with gray and white fur lying on a bed with an orange and beige patterned blanket, looking directly at the camera.

Roma was a force of nature, a warrior princess, an amazing stage actor, a kind and quirky companion, fearless world traveler, and the best friend anyone could ever have.

For such a little dog, she was so BIG with love. Beyond anything we had ever experienced before or ever will.

Small fluffy dog looking up while leaning against a person's leg on a tiled floor.
Woman sitting on a sidewalk with a small dog on her lap, smiling, next to a drink bottle and a can.
A person wearing a blue Mets shirt and cap sits on a patterned couch beside a similarly patterned chair. The setup includes personal items and memorabilia in a cozy room.

Each morning, she would wait quietly between us in bed, until the time for her morning medicine, and then, at that precise time, she would pounce on Jen, put her tiny arms around Jen’s neck and then give Jen the most passionate and loving puppy kisses! 

Then, she would jump off of her. I would yell out “Where are my puppy kisses?” And she would look at me, pause for a second,  and then give me only 1 puppy kiss and smile.

She loved messing with me.

But later on in the day, when I came home, Roma would run to the door to greet me, and then run to her Roma bed in the office where I would meet her, and she would give me puppy kisses and puppy kisses and puppy kisses. 

One day, I counted 150 kisses, until she jumped out of the bed, ran and got her ball, and threw it at me to play. To this day, I am not sure if she was just “working the room” in order to get me to play with her.  But I don’t care. I got Roma’s puppy kisses!

All Roma wanted was to be with us, and we just wanted to be with her.

Two images of a small fluffy dog, one resting on a floor and the other lying on a yellow blanket.
Two images of a small dog: One showing the dog lying next to a person with a colorful blanket, and the other showing the dog wearing a tie-dye shirt sitting on a car seat.

We had the unique opportunity to travel the world with her. We went to Italy on numerous occasions, Croatia, Quebec, Montreal, and so many other wonderful places, where we biked, swam, hiked and ate!  (Yes, Roma biked in her bike basket which we traveled with, and she loved it!) And she was never a problem. We would fly with her in her “travel case” on Jen’s lap where she would sleep or just stare into her Mommy’s eyes for hours.

Woman in a swimsuit sitting on a wooden pier with a dog lying beside her, overlooking a clear blue sea and distant greenery.
Cyclist on a scenic country road with mountain views
A couple sitting on a bench by the waterfront, holding a small dog. There's a thatched umbrella, boats, and a mountainous backdrop. The setting is sunny and tropical.
A woman sitting on a stone bench outside a cafe holding a cup of coffee. There is a dog laying next to her on the bench. Behind her is a colorful menu board displaying various ice cream and dessert options. She is wearing a black dress.
Man in black jacket and cap standing at a scenic overlook with a small dog peeking from a backpack, viewing a landscape of rolling hills and fields.
Woman walking a small dog on a leash in a historic stone-paved street.
Woman in a black dress and sunhat holding a small dog on a tree-lined pathway.
Small dog inside a pet carrier with its head partially visible
A series of images showing a small fluffy dog in various settings. The dog is seen in a red carrier bag, in a stroller on a city street, being held by a woman in front of a graffiti wall saying 'I love you,' sitting in an outdoor cafe, and lying on a blanket.

At home, we would bike all over the city together, taking pictures in front of amazing Street Art, or in front of whatever food we would eat, and there was nothing more fun.

Our New York City Adventures evolved into us filming Roma on our bike rides with a Go Pro camera, as she would jump up and down and look left and right and then peek around to see if Mommy was ok. These videos were later turned into an Interactive IPAD Children’s book entitled Roma’s New York City Adventures sold on Apple Books.

A series of images showing a small dog with its owner in various settings: relaxing on grass, sitting at a table, riding in a bike basket, in a backpack, and at an outdoor cafe with a drink.
Small dog in a basket on a bike, city street, speech bubble "Let's go on an adventure!"

In 2012 and 2013, Ken had the unique opportunity to ACT with Roma in his play, DAD AND THE DOG, all about a Father who was left by his family for six weeks in the Summer of 1969, with only the support of the family dog. We didn’t train Roma to do anything. We simply had her be with Ken, and oh my God, did she show up and support Ken as Ken supported her and she did the most amazing things.

There was one scene close to the beginning of the play, where it was their first night alone, and Ken was watching THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW. In the script, when Dean Martin starts to sing AMORE, Ken shuts off the TV, and goes into a mournful tirade about giving up on love. 

One night, in performance, when Dean Martin started to sing AMORE, Roma ran to Ken from the other side of the couch and started kissing him. He took it in and went with it, while thinking to himself “Holy Mackerel, I never could have written anything as wonderful as this!” 

And the reviews proved it:

Martin Denton - nytheatre.com

“The element that makes this new play authentically unique is the show's star. Playwright-actor-director Ken Wolf plays the protagonist, Hank (his Dad). But it is Roma Pierro-Wolf, a charismatic and utterly delightful furry Morkie, who steals the show, without uttering a single word (or bark) onstage. Basically, all she needs to do is to gaze adoringly into her co-stars eyes, or sink into a chair on her back demanding that her belly be scratched. She's got everyone in the house in the palm of her... paw. Dad and the Dog is sweet, often funny, and quite touching. I do think, though, that maybe the billing needs to be switched: thanks to the infinitely cute Ms. Pierro-Wolf, it sure did feel like "Dog and the Dad" to me!”

Best scene partner and best life partner ever!!!

Person sitting on a sofa with a puppet, wearing a blue shirt and hat, on a stage with props in the background.

Roma really didn’t love hanging out with other dogs. We believed she thought she was a person, and in our experience she was. She would eat with us at each meal as part of the family. After dinner, she would often run to her toy box and pull out her giant octopus that she would swing around comically, bark at incessantly, and then pounce on. Still not sure if she was simply doing that for us to laugh or not, but it was always wonderful fun.

And at the end of the day, when Roma felt it was time for bed, she would come to Ken’s office, and give him a stern look, and he would stop everything and head to bed to be with her and Jen.

Ken loved that so so much. It was wonderful to be treated as part of the pack.

And we were an amazing pack, the three of us.

Roma, Jen and Ken.

A couple with a dog taking a selfie in a car and posing by the ocean.
Collage of several photos featuring three adults and a small dog in various outdoor and indoor settings, including dining and sitting on a porch.

Roma loved her Nonna and Papa, Jen’s mother and father.  She had a special bond with each. They were always greeted with a myriad of puppy kisses. Roma would love going to visit for there was always an abundance of love and FOOD. And ROMA loved LOVE and FOOD. 

At Jen’s parent’s house, I would get a kick out of seeing Jen and her mother chatting together with Roma in-between them as if she was participating in the conversation, and in a way, she was. 

She was the kindest, most compassionate and loving soul we have ever known.

Jen and Roma were “connected at the hip,” and they were. Jen would instantly know if anything was wrong with Roma, and Roma would instantly know if Jen was feeling out of sorts, and then go to her, and make things better. They were intertwined in so many loving and beautiful ways throughout the day as Jen worked from home.

They were true soul mates. 

Best friends. 

Mother and daughter.  

Yes, mother and daughter.

Collage of three images showing a woman with a small dog. The woman wears a sunhat and sunglasses, holding the dog which has fluffy fur. In the middle image, she's kissing the dog affectionately. The bottom image shows them both smiling outdoors with an umbrella in the background.
A series of four images featuring a person with a small dog in various settings, including a rooftop, a bridge, a living room, and a cafe. The person is holding the dog and enjoying different environments, such as outdoor and indoor spaces. In two images, they are also seen drinking from a cup.

When it was made clear from our vet that Roma was leaving us, we knew we would have to let her go before the pain began. Wrapped in her favorite blanket, held warmly by Jen, Roma passed on. But right before she left, Roma reached out to Jen and gave her three Roma kisses, and then looked at Ken, and gave him one beautiful Roma kiss, and smiled.

Roma made our world abundant with love.

She was our best friend, and our heart.   

We are honored and so so so blessed to have spent these 15 amazing years together.  

The three of us. 

Two people and a small dog behind window bars, man with open mouth and glasses, woman smiling.

THEATRE ADVENTURES

Various people posing with a small dog in different settings, including an office space, a living room, and a studio. The dog is often the focal point, sometimes dressed in clothing. The images show different individuals interacting with the dog in a casual and affectionate manner.
Man in Mets shirt and cap on patterned couch, with dog in chair wearing Mets cap and jersey.

TRAVEL ADVENTURES

Series of photos showing a small dog with various people against different backgrounds, including a city square, a barred window, and a coastal view.
A series of photos showing a couple with a small dog in various European settings, including doorsteps and cobblestone streets. The woman is wearing a red top and skirt, and the man has glasses and a hat. The dog appears fluffy and is seen sitting with the couple.
A collage of photos featuring a person holding a small dog in various outdoor settings. The settings include a stone street, a scenic waterfront, and cobblestone streets. The person wears casual clothing, sunglasses, and smiles in several of the images. The dog is small and fluffy, appearing relaxed and content.
Collage of a small dog in various settings: in a stroller on a beach pathway, in a backpack in a city square, being walked on a cobblestone street, and sitting on rocks by the sea.

ROMA

A series of images depicting a small gray and white dog with fluffy fur. The first image shows the dog sitting on a carpet, looking up. The second image captures the dog lying on its side on a carpet. The third image features the dog wearing a red sweater, looking towards the right. The fourth image shows the dog sitting on a floral-patterned cushion, looking up. The fifth image has the dog peeking from a car seat in a vehicle interior, possibly a luxury car.
Collage of a small dog in various settings: lying on a blanket, wearing a hat and sunglasses, dressed in a pink costume, standing by a swimming pool, sitting in a car, next to a coffee cup.
A small dog with fluffy fur, posing in various settings, wearing different outfits and accessories, including a colorful birthday hat and scarf in some images.
A series of six images featuring a small dog in various settings: on a ledge, wrapped in a blanket, wearing a black jacket, dressed in a red plaid Christmas outfit, near a decorated Christmas tree, and lying down on a wooden surface.

WE LOVE YOU, FOREVER!

Love is Life.