Cheryl Nealey, who rose from secretary at The Denver Post to the paper’s chief financial officer, died of cancer Tuesday. She was 46.
A service is planned for 1 p.m. July 3 at Park Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church, 3385 Albion St.
Nealey, diagnosed with cancer in the chest cavity in August 2007, went through chemotherapy as well as alternative treatments, said her brother Myron of Denver.
She continued working, sometimes from home, until about a month ago, said Fritz Anderson, who worked with her at her most recent job, at Clarity Media Group. She went to Clarity in 2004 as controller — responsible for financial administrative, human resources, benefits and financial operations.
“She was aces,” said Jerry Grilly, president and chief executive of the Denver Newspaper Agency.
Grilly was publisher of The Post in the late 1990s when he promoted her to CFO.
“She was hesitant about accepting the job, but I knew she was so capable and eager to make a greater contribution,” said Grilly, adding she was “beyond her years” in her ability and was “always approachable and made people feel comfortable.”
“She was a hardworking, intelligent person with a calm demeanor and positive outlook,” said Anderson. “She was very good at what she did, and people trusted her. She could grasp the big picture without letting the details go by the wayside.”
Kathy Maaliki, a friend who is benefits director at The Post, said she and Nealey took accounting classes together.
“She was always the one who got the straight A’s, and I struggled with the B’s,” Maaliki said.
Cheryl Nealey was born in Chicago on May 2, 1963, and moved to Denver with her family when she was a small child.
She graduated from George Washington High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Metropolitan State College and another in business administration from the University of Colorado Denver.
She also worked for a time as senior vice president of business development and administration at GlobeVest Foundation, which operates charter schools, early-childhood development centers and adult learning centers.
Nealey played the piano for years, accompanying the choir at her church and other singing groups, her brother said. She also directed the choir at her church for several years.
In addition to Myron Nealey, she is survived by her parents, George and Beth Nealey of Denver; another brother, Gregory Nealey of Aurora; five nieces; one nephew; one great-niece; one great-nephew; and her longtime companion, James Sutherland.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
