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词条 Joseph Soffer
释义

  1. Early life and education

  2. Career

  3. Philanthropy and awards

  4. Personal life

  5. References

{{Infobox person
| name = Joseph Soffer
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1913
| birth_place = Duquesne, Pennsylvania
| death_date = June 13, 2006 (age 94)
| death_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| nationality = United States
| residence = Squirrel Hill
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Real estate developer
| known_for = Founder of the Soffer Organization
| networth =
| spouse = Violet Gusky
| children = R. Damian Soffer
James Lee Soffer
| parents = Lena Haber Soffer
Jacob Soffer
| family = Donald Soffer (nephew)
| website =
}}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 (née 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

1. ^10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pittsburgh Post Gazette: “Obituary: Joseph Soffer / Real estate developer who built major shopping centers in region” By Elwin Green June 13, 2006
2. ^10 11 12 13 Pittsburgh Tribune: “Developer began family philanthropy tradition” BY Jerry Vondas June 12, 2006
3. ^[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19720914&id=rlQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SFMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7585,5148791&hl=en The Pittsburgh Press: "Mall Magnate Harry Soffer Dies at 63"] September 14, 1972
4. ^Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh: "Violet and Joseph Soffer Foundation and Family Special Olympics" retrieved May 25, 2016
5. ^Pittsburgh Post Gazette: "Who will be next to build region? - Eddie Lewis' death creates a big void" By Dan Fitzpatrick December 2, 2006
{{Portal|Pittsburgh}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Soffer, Joseph}}

7 : 1913 births|2006 deaths|American real estate businesspeople|Businesspeople from Pennsylvania|Jewish American philanthropists|People from Duquesne, Pennsylvania|20th-century philanthropists

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