Carol Goldman, Who Built Cels Enterprises With Husband Bob Goldman, Dies at 81
Katie Abel
Executive Editor
Carol Goldman, who was instrumental in building Cels Enterprises Inc. alongside husband Bob, has died. She was 81.
Goldman, who suffered a stroke in 2007, continued to be a constant presence in the family business for many years despite her personal setbacks.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the loss of my beloved wife of 60 years. She was not only my partner in life, but also the mother of our cherished children, Stewart, Lauren, Elise and Alex,” said Bob Goldman, founder and CEO of Cels.
Together, the couple grew the company, which has been a mainstay in the shoe industry for more than five decades. It all started with a great idea, which the Goldmans came up with when Bob was a shoe salesman and Carol was an interior designer.
The couple developed a self-service shoe display system called Modumode, formed Cels and installed the fixtures in Abraham & Strauss. “With Modumode, they sold out 90 percent of the inventory in one week,” Bob told FN in 2017.
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As Cels took off, Carol served as the chief marketing officer at Chinese Laundry for 36 years.
“Her talent, creativity and determination were unmatched,” her husband said. “We built a business and a life that was filled with beautiful memories and a bond that words cannot fully capture.”
In a 2017 interview, Stewart, the couple’s son, said Carol’s influence on the company was profound. “She was very involved. She was not a woman who kept her opinions to herself,” he said.
Beyond Carol’s professional achievements, she was the heart of the family. “Her warmth, kindness, and unwavering strength inspired us all,” Bob said. ‘She was my rock, my confidante, and my greatest love. She will be deeply missed, but will live on in the hearts of everyone whose lives she touched.”
In addition to her husband, Carol Goldman is survived by Stewart, Lauren and Alex.
