Jeffery Lee Soff

Jeffery Lee Soff died on January 18, 2026, at the age of 78. The oldest of three children, he was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived the first half of his life in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. He was a graduate of Roosevelt University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He was simultaneously a student at DePaul University, where he was a part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), and upon graduation he was awarded the Distinguished Military Graduate designation. Immediately following graduation, he entered active-duty military service with the US Army as a Second Lieutenant. His first assignment was at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he attended the Infantry Officers Basic Course and the Airborne School, where he received his paratrooper wings. His next assignment was with the 194th Armored Brigade and the 54th Mechanized Infantry at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he served as a training support officer. From there, he was assigned to take the Jungle Operation Training Course at Fort Sherman, Canal Zone (Panama) where he received the designation of Jungle Expert. He was then sent to Vietnam, where he served as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division.

Following his military service, he returned to Chicago, where he worked for Swift Agricultural Chemicals Company, Morton Norwich, and Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois.

While in Chicago, he was a member of the Fort Dearborn-Chicago Camera Club and was director of the club's evening school of photography, where he earned numerous awards for his artistic photographic work. He was also active in real estate projects, which eventually led him to relocate to Tallahassee to join other college friends in the new home construction industry. He subsequently returned to Chicago, where he attended the Keller Graduate School of Management and received his MBA in 1987 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1988. He then took a position as a Tax Auditor with the Florida Department of Revenue's Chicago Regional Office, auditing large, Midwest corporations that had a business presence in Florida. Following several promotions, he then transferred to Tallahassee to take a position with the Bureau of Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution. He retired from the Department of Revenue in 2012 after 27 years of service to the State of Florida. His main hobby in Tallahassee was target shooting and rifle competition with the Tallahassee Rifle and Pistol Club. However, his early interest in photography was not abandoned. Over the years, he copied and restored vintage photographs, which were then donated to historical organizations or converted into framed photographic art for his home.

He is survived by his sister Patricia Latronica of Lansing, Illinois, a niece and nephew in the south Chicago area, and numerous cousins in Northwest Indiana.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Clarence and Osa Soff, and his younger brother Lawrence.

Services will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, February 9, 2026 at the Tallahassee National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to St Francis Wildlife Association in Quincy, Florida. Todd Wahlquist is assisting the family with their arrangements (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com).