Radio Producer Finds Strength in the Chaplet That Keeps His Late Wife Close| National Catholic Register
This past Mother’s Day, an Alabama father stood by his wife’s grave, watching his two young sons playfully pick up their sister as if they were going to toss her into the nearby pasture. It was a flash of raw, unfiltered childhood joy in a place usually reserved for solemn tears. When he gently scolded them for acting “a bit crazy,” his oldest son, Donnie, looked up and offered a piece of wisdom far beyond his years:
“Dad, you don’t have to be so sad every time we visit her. Mom wouldn’t want you to be sad because she’s rejoicing in heaven.”
Navigating the unthinkable loss of a spouse to cancer is a journey through a landscape no parent ever wants to chart. Yet inside the home of radio producer Mike Romano — the voice behind EWTN’s animated series Tomkin — grief does not get the final word.
Instead, it is being met with a fierce legacy of faith, laughter, and an unwavering commitment to the things that matter most.
It is a story shaped by a mother’s relentless spirit. As her husband recalls of his wife Jen, “I remember most her will to win and beat cancer and her refusal to accept cancer as a death sentence. She truly believed that even when the cancer spread to the brain, and she was given two to four months to live, that she was going to beat cancer.”
In the midst of that trial, a profound transformation of faith was taking place.
“More importantly, though, she returned to her faith with a vigor I had never seen from her, and we all started to go to Mass as a family,” Romano told the Register.
“Since her passing, the nonnegotiable with my kids is we are not missing Mass. We will go to Mass. Honestly, going to Mass with my kids is the highlight of my week. Every week.”
The timeless love story of Mike and Jen Romano started in a very postmodern way, with the couple meeting on eHarmony.
“I first worked up the courage to call her on Oct. 1, 2005,” he remembered. “As we were talking, at one point I told her that I felt as if I had known her my entire life. And then, when we met in person, a few weeks later, I knew. I was in the presence of a beautiful angel, and I had to marry this angel. She came into my life an angel, and she left this world as an angel.”
Now, his children compose themselves with an inspiring resilience and with a bravery beyond their young years. “We talk a lot on our morning radio show about how grace builds upon nature, and I’ve seen that in the way my children carry themselves,” he explained.
Backed by a strong support system of friends and family while navigating this newfound territory of being a widowed dad, Romano works to keep his wife’s wishes alive in raising their three beautiful children. Jen always made sure the family prioritized time together, often planning lavish stays at Great Wolf Lodge in Georgia just to see them happy.
“She went over the top at Christmas, [and] she would always say to me ‘They’re only young once, and there is going to come a time when they may either want nothing to do with us, or they start a family of their own and they are busy raising their own children.’”
After losing his wife after 18 years of marriage, Romano understands to the core that all of our days are numbered, and for this father, he is not wasting any fleeting seconds.
“Time spent with them is the most treasured gift I have. I know I’m going to miss those days where they need me. Whether it’s playing golf with my oldest son, Donnie, or going to the card shop or looking at Pokemon cards, or watching my daughter, Stella, at her gymnastics class, is the best time spent on earth. My kids are my greatest legacy.”
As a radio producer, Romano understands recordings as they truly are: records of events and moments that can now live virtually forever online or on a disk. And there is one such recording that now means the most to him. “Eleven years ago, Jen and I recorded the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which airs at 3 p.m. everyday on Archangel Radio, the station where I am employed. It’s the most comforting thing in the world to me and my children that, whenever I pick up my children from school, that we can pray with and hear Mama’s voice praying alongside me,” adding, “Doesn’t get any better than that!”
Tapping into his background in stand-up comedy, he also brings his vocal talents to the beloved EWTN children’s program Tomkin.
“Sam Zamarron, who works in the creative department at EWTN, came up with the idea about 10 years ago,” he explained.
“He knew that I had done stand-up comedy at The World-Famous Comedy Store in L.A. In my act; I did celebrity impressions and voices. For the audition, he had me do a Sam Elliott impression as the narrator and then do my regular speaking voice. While he loved my Sam Elliott impression, he, along with the other creatives, thought it might be a bit much for children who are watching and listening, and they just wouldn’t get it; so, they wanted to use my normal speaking voice.”
And the role has brought an abundance of joy.
“It’s been an absolute blast and an honor to be able to use my God-given gifts in this area. More importantly, what a great teaching tool to pass along the faith to children, Catholic or non-Catholic. I record the show in my whisper room that I use to record all of my audio projects, whether it’s an audiobook for TAN Publishing or a commercial.”
Romano also holds a new role in the house as chef, an arena he isn’t as confident or comfortable in, but a room that holds for him a place of warmth as memories of his dear wife in the kitchen fill his mind.
“I’m trying to learn a new dish to cook each week, and let’s just say, I’m a work in progress … haha!” he said with a laugh.
“Jen was a phenomenal cook, which she inherited from her mom, who cooks for the entire Penry family every Thursday night. Now, my son Donnie, who learned how to cook when he was 7, doesn’t eat my food and instead cooks his own.”
Romano joked that he has no “hurt feelings” since his skills seem to be another trait Donnie received from his mother.
But he does relish a bit in the small victories while learning new recipes.
“My daughter, Stella, loves my potato soup, which is her favorite meal that Jen used to cook. And Jordan loves my chicken and dumplings, which is his favorite dish that my mother-in-law makes. So, as a family, we always loved to eat, and I would like to think that Jen is proud of me for being able to cook something besides steak,” Romano said with a smile.
Life for the Romanos these days is a beautiful, messy reality buoyed by grace. And although Mike still leans on prayer during profound grief that still overtakes him at times, he is so proud of his family.
“I also want to say how proud I am of my kids for doing chores,” he said. “Sure, most times I have to bribe them (Starbucks for Stella, Roblox gift cards for Jordan, and golf balls for Donnie) but, hey, whatever it takes, right?”
Celebrating Father’s Day this year for the second time as a single dad, Mike Romano keeps the memory of his earthly angel alive in every single heartbeat, charting a path of purposeful joy for their children, who still love their special way to pray as a family every day.
