Cleo Goldenthal

Cleo Goldenthal passed away in Phoenix, AZ on October 15, 2022 with family at her side. She was born in Yonkers, NY on May 8, 1926, to Capitola “Cappy” DeWolfe and Julius Ornstein. Her only sibling, beloved older brother Sanford died tragically at the age of sixteen – a loss from which Cleo never fully recovered.

At the age of eighteen, Cleo attended Fashion Academy in Manhattan where she studied fashion design and illustration. Though she demonstrated a gift in both disciplines, she did not pursue a career in the industry.

In 1948, Cleo married pharmacist Allan Goldenthal to whom she was introduced by her girlhood friend Janice Berkowitz and husband Edgar Goldenthal. Cleo and Allan had two children: Joel and Andrea.

In 1956, Cleo became a ‘single mom’ and head-of-household which included mother “Cappy” who died in 1999 at the age of 101. With her strong values, whit, sense of humor and boundless determination, Cleo began her work life in retail sales at posh Henri Bendel Department Store. Following that, she worked for architectural engineering firm Lapierre Litchfield. A cousin steered her to work as an outside ad sales rep for Reuben H. Donnelley Corporation (“The Yellow Pages” publisher) where she put in a grueling several years.

Finally, Cleo found her calling in the field of executive recruiting. She took the professional name Cleo Phillips (a derivation of her middle name Phyllis), worked her way up to become partner with Henry Schaper who pioneered the specialty of service to nonprofits – the two officially operated as Schaper-Phillips. Throughout Cleo’s four-decade career, she was revered nationwide by dozens of prestigious client organizations for her extraordinary talent matching job candidates with their unique cultures. Such clients included New York University, NPR, PBS, The US Chamber of Commerce to name a few. Time and again, clients and candidates returned to Cleo for service. She was dubbed “The Placement Mother” by her son.

In 1985, Cleo relocated to Phoenix, where she was in real estate sales for a “New York minute.” It was not her forte. When opportunity knocked for her return to New York and career in executive recruitment, she joined world renowned PR giant Howard Rubenstein as inhouse recruiter.

Cleo’s personal life was rich. Of paramount importance to her was the family she created. “I was twice blessed,” she would say until as recently as two months ago. She had a passion for the performing arts. As a young adult, Cleo saw Nat “King” Cole perform live – an “Unforgettable” experience that turned her into a lifelong devotee-come-aficionado of jazz! She was a major influence on her children’s lives and careers, always imparting her strong values, high standards and deep desire for their happiness.

Cleo is survived by her children Joel and Andrea; daughter-in-law Delphine; grandchildren Kirstin, Fabia, Julian and Adrian; great grandson Neil; nephews Michael, Mark and Jonathan; nieces Lisa, Madeleine and Rebecca; and cousins Aaron and Jan.

In lieu of flowers, family suggests a tax-deductible donation in Cleo’s honor to Hospice of The Valley where she was tenderly cared for during her final eleven days, or The Nash (aka Jazz in Arizona) a nonprofit performance and educational venue founded by Cleo's son, that carries her love of jazz forward to future generations. Cleo attended numerous performances at The Nash where she snapped her fingers on counts two and four!