Mikki Wolf: a zest for life
The Denver Post
When Michele “Mikki” Wolf suffered a massive stroke in 1989, her mother, ElaineWolf, hung a map of the world in her recovery room.
The idea was to encourage a speedy recovery by letting Mikki know she still had a lot of living to do; that her love of adventure needn’t be hampered by a medical condition. It worked. Although Mikki retained some paralysis and found it difficult to speak clearly, her wanderlust didn’t end. In the company of friends or her grandchildren, she soon resumed travels that took her to places like Vietnam, Africa and Peru.
Born in Denver onMarch 10, 1947, Mikki Wolf died Jan. 7 following a heart attack. Shewas 66. Her funeralwas held Jan. 9 at Temple Emanuel with burial at Emanuel Cemetery.
“Mikki never had it easy,” said Rabbi Joseph Black. “She faced many challenges and was often in pain, but her laugh and her smile were contagious.”
“Shewas an inspiration to others,” added Steven Foster, Temple Emanuel’s rabbi emeritus. “Her struggle taught others to live.”
A graduate of George Washington High School, Wolf volunteered at Rose Medical Center and the Dumb Friends League.
She also was a gourmet cook. “That she could cook the most incredible meals was made even more incredible by the fact she didn’t have full use of both arms,” Foster noted.
“She never complained, even when she sustained a painful blood clot while traveling in Africa with her grandson,” he said. “In fact, she didn’t even mention it to him until theywerehomeso as not to spoil his fun.”
Wolf is survived by her mother, ElaineWolf; her two children, Amie and Kenny Jacobs; her sister, Sandy Wolf; and six grandchildren: David, Cindy and Steven Roberts, and Zachary, Ari and Adam Jacobs. Her father, MelvinWolf, and sister, Lori Wolf, preceded her in death, as did her former husband, TomJacobs.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Temple Emanuel, Freedom Service Dogs, 2000 W. Union Ave., Englewood 80110, or PetAid Colorado, 191 Yuma St., Denver 80223.