Leo Pearlstein

October 5, 1920 - September 10, 2025 Three weeks shy of his 105th birthday, Leo Pearlstein passed away peacefully among his family in Los Angeles. A pioneer in the world of public relations and marketing, Leo was known as "the king of culinary public relations," and, more recently, "the world's oldest jazz drummer."
Leo was born in Paterson, New Jersey, to Sam and Gussie and his older brother, Jack. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1936, where his parents opened a grocery store and where Leo worked as a young man. He attended the University of Southern California, where he was honored with the Paul G. Hoffman Award as the most outstanding marketing graduate.
While he was in college, he met Helen Bluefield. The pair wed in 1942, and Leo enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he was assigned to the Psychological Research Unit and achieved the rank of sergeant. After the war, Leo and Helen returned to Los Angeles, where their three sons, David, Howard and Frank, were born. Leo and Helen were married for nearly 70 years, until she passed away in 2012.
After the war Leo began his career in the food business, and in 1950, he opened his own agency, Lee & Associates Public Relations and Advertising, which operated for six decades. The agency was recognized as one of the nation's top independent public relations agencies specializing in food and beverage. It represented over 40 agricultural advisory boards for industries including turkeys, seafood, eggs, figs, prunes, almonds and apples. Some of his brand-name clients included Mrs. Cubbison's, Frito-Lay, Weber's Bread, Rold Gold Pretzels, Suntory Whiskey, Del Monte and American Home Foods.
Leo also was part of the team that developed the pop-up thermometers used with millions of turkeys each Thanksgiving.
Leo had a talent for creating publicity opportunities for his clients by joining forces with Hollywood stars. For example, he worked with Jayne Mansfield (promoting turkeys), Bob Hope (grapefruit), Groucho Marx (figs), and Abbott & Costello (eggs). A gifted storyteller, Leo chronicled his career in several books, including "Celebrity Stew: Food Publicity Pioneer Shares 50 Years of Entertaining Inside Stories of Hollywood Royalty," "Recipes of the Stars," and "Adventures in PR." Just after he turned 103, Leo was honored by the Public Relations Society of America with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition he treasured.
Leo was also a passionate, accomplished drummer and played his entire life. He spoke fondly of the time he jammed with the great vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. A YouTube video of him drumming at age 103 has been viewed more than 3.6 million times.
Leo is survived by his sons, David and Frank; his daughters-in-law, Karen, Cathie and Helaine; and his grandchildren, Jennifer and Jackie. A third son, Howard, passed away in 2023.
Services: Sun., Sept. 21, at 10 am at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles.