"Sad day.... Great memories of Livia's & The Roman Table. Rocco & Renee were truly 2 of a kind & are sorely missed! God's blessings & peace to you all."
In loving memory of
Renee Pepino
Renee Pepino, age nearly 81, passed away on Sunday, August 19, 2018 surrounded by her family and friends. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Tammy & Robert Schenk; granddaughter Sabrina Schenk; son Robert Pepino; son Marco Pepino; daughter-in-law Linda Damita and granddaughter Isabella Damita Pepino. Services honoring her life will be held from 2:00-5:00pm on Sunday, August 26, 2018 at Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. 7th Street, Phoenix 85020.
Renee, also known as Rina for her birth name Fiorina Maria Primomo, was born on November 3, 1937 in the small town of Castel Baronia in Southern Italy to Domenico and Rita Primomo. She and her treasured husband Rocco Enrico Pepino (who passed away only a year ago on June 15, 2017) opened their first restaurant in Brindisi, Italy in 1969. It was there that she honed her skills as a chef and became a self-taught businesswoman. Renee was best known in the Phoenix area for the restaurant, Livia's Fine Cuisine that she and her husband Rocco opened in 1977 on 7th Avenue just North of Indian School Road when they moved their family to Phoenix. In 1997 the restaurant was renamed The Roman Table. Throughout the years all of the family members had some role at the family restaurant making it an authentically Italian dining experience. Staff members were treated like family and sitting for pre-opening 'family meal' was an occasion cherished by her loyal employees. Both Rina & Rocco retired in 2005 after a long career spanning almost 30 years. The Pepino's created a legacy of traditional Italian cuisine that fed thousands of people whether they were customers at their restaurant or friends they welcomed with open arms and a glass of wine at home.
In 2010 Renee created another legacy when she published her cookbook, More Than Pasta, How to Make Quick, Easy and Delicious Authentic Italian Dishes in 30 minutes or less! The book contains her own recipes, sketches and images of Rocco's images (he was a gifted painter, poet and vocalist) and is sprinkled with Italian proverbs. It was a labor of love that her family, friends and fans are blessed to have to remind them what a beautiful, strong, fun, loving, caring, brilliant, talented and self-sacrificing woman she was. To Rocco and Renee family was everything and food was a close second.
Renee's cooking was highlighted in numerous TV spots over the years on Good Morning Arizona and the Beth & Bill Show. She was always a natural in front of the camera or in front of a crowd proving her unwavering confidence, sense of humor, contagious laugh and engaging spirit. Her cooking videos can be seen on YouTube and her Facebook page for More Than Pasta.
Renee Pepino was a consummate party maker and no one left her table hungry. To Renee, food was love. It fed the soul. It was an art form. She was a gifted pianist and the kitchen was like her piano. It was her instrument where she composed culinary masterpieces that contained her love and passion and sacrifice. Everyone who ate her food felt her love. She passed those skills on to her family as she was a mother first, a mother to many. Everyone called her Mama Pepino. She had a profound affect on those she came into contact with and she will be forever in the hearts of those left behind.
Tributes
"We so enjoyed visiting the family restaurant, both Olivia's & The Roman Table, & interacting with Renee & Rocco. Rocco once sang, in his beautiful opera voice, to our daughter for her birthday & Renee ALWAYS visited & offered her delicious fruit sorbet. My favorite, to this day, was her Scampi. NO ONE could cook like her & no one, today, treats all of the visitors as special as both Renee & Rocco. It's good, though, that they are together again!! Our sympathy to all of the family!"
"We have lost another dear friend and send our love to all the Pepino Family. We can still see her smiling face and quick laughter while playing cards with us at the Arizona American Italian Club. God Bless her and Rocco."
"My family is deeply saddened of the passing your mother, Rina. A beautiful woman who was the best Italian cook I?ve ever met. I will miss her infectious laugh. My Dad is devastated! Peace be with your family in this time of sorrow. From our family"