Joseph Soffer

Joseph Soffer (1913- June 13, 2006) was an American real estate developer and philanthropist.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Soffer was one of four children born to a Jewish family in 1913 in Duquesne, Pennsylvania,^[1][2] the son of Lena (nee Haber) and Jacob Soffer.^[2] His parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe.^[2] His father owned a grocery store where he worked as a teenager.^[1] He had three siblings: Sylvia Chotiner, Harry Soffer, and Ruth Pressman.^[2][3] Soffer graduated from Duquesne High School after which he started to invest in real estate by purchasing single-family homes and small apartment buildings.^[1] During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Corps Transportation Command^[2] where he was stationed at Love Field in Texas.^[1]

Career

After the war, he formed Soffer Realty in McKeesport, Pennsylvania with his brother Harry (the father of Donald Soffer).^[1] They built the Norwin Shopping Center in Irwin, Pennsylvania^[1] and operated the Baldoc Hills Golf Club also in Irwin.^[2] In 1960, he partnered with Benjamin Thorpe and built the 7-building Penn Center East in Wilkins Township, Pennsylvania - one of the first suburban office parks around Pittsburgh - which was unique at that time as it contained not only office space (700,000 square feet) but also retail (300,000 square feet) and residential (448 units).^[1] The project was completed in 1964,^[1] the same year he established the Soffer Organization.^[2] In 1985, he completed a similar project named Penn Center West in Robinson Township, Pennsylvania.^[1] He remained as chairman of the Soffer Organization until his death, which at the time owned 2 million square feet of office, retail and residential property in the Pittsburgh area.^[1][2]

Philanthropy and awards

While stationed in Texas, he joined the Masonic Order (rising to the 32nd Degree) and the Shriners.^[2] In 2004, Soffer received a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.^[1] He also supported a number Jewish charities as well as the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony.^[2] He and his wife established the Violet and Joseph Soffer Foundation and Family Special Olympics at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.^[4]

Personal life

Soffer was married to Violet Gusky, a native of Braddock, Pennsylvania^[1] whom he met while on leave from the Army.^[2] The couple lived in Squirrel Hill until his death on June 13, 2016^[1] at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland.^[2] Services were held at the Tree of Life Congregation and he was buried at the Temple B'nai Israel Cemetery in Versailles, Pennsylvania.^[1] They had two sons R. Damian Soffer and James Lee Soffer.^[1] His son R. Damiam is the current CEO and president of the Soffer Organization.^[2]

Soffer belonged to the older generation of Pittsburgh real estate developers - such as Edward J. Lewis, Jack Buncher, Stanley Gumberg, and Leonard Rudolph - who conducted business with a handshake.^[5] Soffer believed that the key to his success was taking advantage of opportunities: “Just remember one thing: You can't catch the same streetcar twice."^[1]

References