A LIFE IN FOCUS

- by Cindy Rhodes

Jerry Soifer, who recorded the history of Inland Empire life from behind his camera lens for nearly 50 years, died on April 27 at his home in Corona. He was 80.

An award-winning journalist in both writing and photography, most people affectionately knew him as “Scoop” because if it happened in Corona, Norco or Eastvale, you could count on Soifer’s story the next morning.

The bulk of Soifer’s career was spent at the Press-Enterprise, covering news and sports in Western Riverside County. He never needed a physical office, because you could always find him around town – lunch at Mr. You’s, Norco High football practice or the Corona Airport watching planes and sipping on a Diet Coke.

Jeremiah Lee Soifer was born in Washington D.C. on Sept. 3, 1944. Like most boys of that era, he collected baseball cards and listened to his favorite teams on the radio. His family settled in Pittsburgh early on, fostering Soifer’s love of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The family moved to Southern California, where Soifer graduated from Venice High School and went on to UCLA.

He graduated from UCLA in 1967 and worked as a news assistant at the Los Angeles Times, until joining the Corona-Norco Independent in 1979. When the Press-Enterprise bought the Independent, Soifer was given a job with the larger paper.

Although he covered everything from breaking news to stories on everyday people, his speciality and passion was high school sports. People marveled at his old-school ways of reporting, writing and taking memorable photos on a newspaper’s deadline. No sport was too obscure as he shot Little League baseball with the same professionalism he reserved for the NFL.

“Jerry was a kind, enthusiastic and gentle soul,” former Press-Enterprise associate Carla Lassareschi said. “He exemplified the best of community journalism.”

Current and former area athletes would constantly stop to thank Soifer for a photograph he took of them or coverage of their high school team back in the day. Soifer was not only gracious but usually remembered the athlete, his school and his sport.

He also became a quiet advocate for Title IX, the 1972 law that protects gender equity in federally-funded sports. Soifer loved softball and even coached a lower level Corona High team one season. He was always seen at girls high school sports from volleyball to wrestling to flag football.

Longtime Corona resident and Panthers athlete Karen Lloyd said Soifer’s coverage helped girls sports grow in the area. “During my years, he had articles and photos in the Daily Independent twice a week,” said Lloyd, who played from 1979-81. “It was wonderful for young girls to get so much press.”

Still, it was football that shaped his career. He was a member of the photo pool for the Oakland-Los Angeles-Las Vegas Raiders for 35 years. He shot a number of professional teams, including the Lakers, Dodgers, Angels and Galaxy.

Soifer had photographs in the Raiders newsletter and often took pictures of players and staff and gifted them to the person without any fanfare. Pictures he has taken have been published in Bo Jackson’s autobiography ‘Bo Knows Bo’, Ebony Magazine, NFL Prolog magazine, NFL Gameday, The Dallas Morning News and Western Outdoor News.

A celebration of life took place on May 30, 2025 at the Corona Public Library.