By Carol Doudna
Ocean City will not be the same without ace public relations man Mark Soifer, who has died at age 89.
He graduated from Temple and worked in Philly PR before heading down the shore.
“It’s hard to imagine Ocean City without Mark,” Mayor Jay Gillian said Monday in announcing the death of the city’s long-time publicist.
Soifer worked for 45 years as Ocean City’s public relations director before retiring in 2016.
Soifer helped to polish Ocean City’s family-friendly image by creating unique versions of ceremonies already drawing attention elsewhere.
“He had a sense of humor in everything he did,” the statement said of Soifer, the creator of pet-fashion shows, freckle contests and other unusual events.
Soifer also oversaw the arrival of Ocean City’s version of the comic Doo Dah Parade and helped sustain traditional parades for boats and babies, the statement noted.
Soifer worked in public relations in Philly and Vineland before becoming Ocean City’s headline-maker in 1971.
His presence continues in the resort city, which dedicated a park in Soifer’s honor in 2016. He also was named Citizen of the Decade in 2013.
Soifer, an Army veteran, is survived by his wife Toby, four children and eight grandchildren.
