During a memorial service Friday night, Renise Wolfe, who also went by “NeNe,” was remembered for the marks she left on others — literally and figuratively.
The tattoo artist, who loved Disneyland and hip-hop, was 33 when she was found dead in an apartment in North Las Vegas on Dec. 22. Police have alleged that Wolfe’s boyfriend, 29-year-old Markeem Benson, had shot her four times in the back of her head during a fight. Wolfe died at the scene.
“I have nothing prepared because I could barely get myself dressed today,” said Wolfe’s mother, Tracy Coleman, her voice breaking. “But she was so beautiful and kind. We miss her so much.”
Coleman, who wore a pink blazer over a black shirt and pants, stood at the front of the hall inside Palm Northwest Mortuary, at 6701 North Jones Blvd. To her left, Wolfe’s childhood portraits, old tattoo flash sheets, and stuffed animals sat atop the table surrounding her urn.
Coleman said her daughter would visit home at least once a week. Sometimes Wolfe just craved a warm home-cooked meal, and other times, she asked if she could steal a roll or two of toilet paper.
“This room is so full, and I am so proud. As a mom, there’s no greater joy than knowing that people love your child like you did,” Coleman said, addressing the hundreds of people in attendance.
Wolfe’s father, Robert Wolfe, a retired Metropolitan Police Department officer, spoke afterward.
“This is extremely tough for me because my job is protecting my daughters,” Robert Wolfe said. He paused, holding back tears. “I feel like I failed. But I know she would tell me that I am being too hard on myself.”
Other family and friends said Wolfe loved Disneyland, drawing, rap music, and — most of all — time spent with loved ones. Her uncle, James Heinle, said that Wolfe truly left ink on people. Others in the audience shared that she had tattooed them dozens of times, often at no cost.
Brittany Carr, who has known Wolfe since eighth grade, recalled class periods with her. Carr said Wolfe would fill her own folder with drawings, and when she ran out of space, she settled on Carr’s notebook instead.
Carr said as they grew up, the two girls became close. In 2019, Wolfe was supposed to tattoo a woman looking at the sun on her. They never got around to it, but, Carr said, when she found out Wolfe died, she was reminded of her light.
“I was driving, and Nipsey Hussle was playing. I looked at the taxi in front of me, and on the back was a picture of the sun. I knew right there that she was with me,” Carr said. “She was telling me that she was good. She’s not in pain or suffering, and she’s fulfilled her duty.”
At the end of the service, Javier Faggiani, another tattooist, who had known Wolfe for 10 years, presented a 3-foot-tall painting of the artist. He called her a “rider.”
“She stayed with me to the end,” Faggiani said, “This really hurts.”
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.