Rudolph A. Romano

Rudolph “Rudy” Anthony Romano, 73, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at home with his beloved wife, Alice by his side after a courageous battle with cancer. Born October 28, 1951 in Manhattan, New York to the late James and Maria Romano, both immigrants from Southern Italy. The family soon moved to Brooklyn, where Rudy spent his formative years.  

Always the jokester, Rudy brought joy and laughter to everyone he met. He made a name for himself in the neighborhood as the life of the party. Rudy maintained lifelong friendships from his youth from along 40th Street and met the love of his life Alice, in 1969. They married August 16, 1975 and celebrated 50 years of marriage this summer. 

Besides cracking jokes, Rudy was a hard worker from the start, from selling eggs at age 12 to working as a teen at Phillips Pharmacy. Rudy became a paramedic in NYC in 1979 and worked the graveyard shift and two other jobs to support his wife, newborn daughter, Rosemarie, and to save for a house. When the opportunity came to move to Colorado, the family took the chance and moved in May of 1980. 

The family quickly grew with the birth of Gina in 1980, followed by Anthony in 1983. After working multiple jobs to support his family; Rudy, with Alice by his side, opened Mama Roma with his parents and siblings in 1986. Rudy worked tirelessly cooking and running the business. His hard work paid off as the family found much success. After selling the business in 2005, Rudy became affectionately known as “Mr. Lunchlady” to the students at Chaparral High School in Parker where he worked up till his retirement in 2024. Rudy was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of 2020 and he fought it valiantly, even continuing to work through treatment. He always had such a positive attitude and never let his illness get him down. 

Rudy’s zest for life was evident in how much he enjoyed his family, friends, and good food. He would have wanted everyone to enjoy life to the fullest in his honor as he said, “I’ve lived a very good life.” He got everything he ever wanted: a wonderful wife, children and grandchildren, the best of friends, a Cadillac, a pool table, a boat, a truck, a poker table, and enjoyed many incredible trips with Alice and their best friends, Armando and Cindy. Rudy was able to check everything off of his bucket list. 

Rudy is survived by his wife, Alice, his three children, Rosemarie, Gina (Patrick) and Anthony (Jessica); his cherished grandchildren, Valentina, Enzo, Penny, and Joey; and his three siblings, John (Maria), Carmen (Rick), and Jim (Jen). He will be remembered by a large extended family and many wonderful friends who will always treasure his infectious smile and easy laugh. 

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12:00pm on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Parker, followed by a burial at Littleton Cemetery. Please join the family for a celebration of Rudy’s life at Gina and Patrick’s house after the cemetery. 

Please do not send flowers. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org in Rudy’s memory.

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