Marguerite "Maggie" Soff

Maggie Soff, avid animal lover and mentor to international students, left this world on March 29, 2023, at the age of 74 after a five-year-long battle with cancer. She was the middle child of Charles and Eileen Derler of Ludington, Michigan. After high school this flower child of the sixties travelled by backpack through Europe learning languages and to Mexico where she took art classes at the Universidad de San Francisco in Guadalajara in 1967. Upon returning from her world travels, she had a long career in the insurance industry as an administrative assistant in Chicago. After moving to Tallahassee, she resumed her formal education as an adult student at Tallahassee Community College in 1999. She received her Associate of Arts from TCC in May 2000, her Bachelor of Arts in English from Florida State University in December 2002 and her Master of Science in English Education, also from FSU, in April 2006. Her professional career was spent as an Adjunct Professor of English and Developmental Reading at TCC. There she specialized in assisting foreign students from South Korea, Mexico, Cambodia, China, and Benin with their English language skills and with literacy issues for older adults. Following her career with TCC she worked as an Adjunct Professor in Career Development at the Tallahassee campus of Flagler College. Illness finally forced her to give up the career in education that she so dearly loved. Many lives were made better by their paths having crossed with Maggie’s. She is survived by her husband of 41 years Jeff Soff; her brothers Raymond Derler of Ballwin, Missouri and John Derler of Port Huron, Michigan, as well as many cousins in and from California. The family will be receiving guests for a visitation at Bevis Funeral Home on Friday, April 7, 2023 from 12:00 - 2:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that memorial contributions be made to St. Francis Wildlife Association of Quincy, Florida. Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Marguerite "Maggie" Soff

March 18, 1949 - March 29, 2023