The man who made Ocean City silly again, ‘Trash Buster’ Mark Soifer dies at 89
By ELIZABETH LITTLE/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY — Ocean City will shine a little less brightly now following the death of longtime public relations director Mark Soifer. He died at home over the weekend at age 89.
“It’s hard to imagine Ocean City without Mark,” Mayor Jay Gillian stated in a news release. “From the Doo Dah Parade to Martin Z. Mollusk Day and all the way to First Night, so much of what we celebrate comes from Mark’s imagination. Everything he did had a simple message: Ocean City is a great place for families, and generations of residents who have enjoyed the results of his work.”
Soifer led a 45-year-career with Ocean City, creating an array of unique family-oriented activities — the Miss Crustacean Pageant, Woof N Paws Pet Fashion Show, Weird Week, Freckle Contest, Mr. Mature America Pageant and more. He had a sense of humor in everything he did. Soifer also is credited with sustaining traditions such as the Baby Parade and Night in Venice and creating Ocean City’s slogan, “America’s Greatest Family Resort.”
“He was before his time,” Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michele Gillian said. “His signature events make Ocean City what it is, and they have been recognized throughout the nation and the world. I always say we have the beach, the boardwalk, the bay — and Mark Soifer.”
Soifer was not one to stay in the office, quietly behind the scene. After all of the preparation, come the day of the events, Soifer was found smack in the middle of the action — emceeing, singing original songs, cracking jokes, being part of the World’s Only Wind Chimes Band, or dressing as Trash Buster, an original character Soifer created to promote recycling.
Suffice to say, after decades of planning and performing, Soifer made an impact that will last eons longer than a sandcastle built at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
When Soifer retired at the end of 2016, Michael Allegretto, then-director of community services and now aide to the mayor, said Soifer would be remembered for the things he’s done to get the city’s name across the country and world.
“The biggest thing was he enjoyed getting press down here to cover Ocean City, because free press is always the best press. That was always a goal with all of his events. I think he accomplished what he wanted to and he did a great job,” Allegretto saids.
He recalled how his father wore the original Martin Z. Mollusk costume.
“I spent many Saturday afternoons handing out Martin Z. Mollusk pictures at events,” Allegretto said.
Ocean City Beach Patrol historian Fred Miller, who writes books about Ocean City history, credited Soifer with transforming a low-key ceremony to unlock the ocean into an event that regularly draws a crowd. The ceremony was once held at First Street beach, Miller said.
Soifer suggested it be held by the Ocean City Music Pier on the Friday before Memorial Day.
Another brainchild of Soifer’s was the Business Persons Plunge, which is held every May along with the Unlocking of the Ocean to usher in a new summer season. The event features Ocean City merchants dressed in their business attire marching into the ocean. The Business Persons Plunge has been around since 2004.
The event’s co-creator, John Walton, remembers fondly working with Soifer to organize and promote the event.
“We have a passion for the city. Mark always had these zany, fun, off-the-wall, family-style events,” Walton said.
Doug Bergen, the city’s public information officer, said Soifer was not only creative in promoting the city but did so with a wonderful sense of humor.
“You can only hope to fill half of his shoes with as much poise and grace,” Bergen said.
David Nahan, editor of the Ocean City Sentinel, said Soifer wrote a weekly column for the newspaper for decades, listing all of the upcoming events in Ocean City. Nahan said Soifer also added his personal touches to it, including a weekly cartoon “Surf ’N Turf: Martin Z. Mollusk and Friends” that he did with his wife, Toby. He often finished the column with one of his poems.
“Mark had that incredible creative spirit that seemed to imbue everything he did,” Nahan said. “Covering his many silly events for the newspaper always was fun and it was great seeing the many celebrities from the past, such as Carol Channing and Soupy Sales, that he would bring in to honor during the Doo Dah Parade.”
In 2017, a year after Soifer retired, dozens of residents gathered in the Ocean City Free Public Library’s lecture hall to view an autobiographical documentary about Soifer’s life and his career in Ocean City. The short documentary was directed by and starred Soifer, and it was presented by the Ocean City Historical Museum. The museum also held a special exhibit for Soifer, featuring some of his best-known ideas, including the costume from his original character Trash Buster.
Soifer was a jack of all trades. In addition to being a PR genius, Soifer was a published author and poet. His 2013 book of poems, “A Nation of Things,” is available on Amazon.com and at Sun Rose Words & Music at 756 Asbury Ave.
The park at Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue (the former City Hall Annex, where he worked) was dedicated as Mark Soifer Park in 2016. He was honored as Citizen of the Decade in 2013.
Walton described Soifer as hard-working and passionate about his job.
“That man worked day through night and drove home to Vineland to his beloved wife, Toby, get back in the car and do it again,” Walton said.
A real estate agent with Keller Williams Jersey Shore, Walton also remembered that Soifer made the best of what he had and oftentimes had to get creative to make events happen on a budget.
“He was working on shoestring budgets. When you’re on a shoestring budget, you’re looking for volunteers, and he was good at that,” Walton said.
He described how when the Business Persons Plunge and Mr. Mature America pageant were introduced to Ocean City, the results were lackluster. Over time, though, through Soifer’s indefatigable efforts the events grew into popular traditional events and he left a legacy that will remain in Ocean City forever.
“When I was on the stage with Barbara Eden for Mr. Mature America, and when she asked me who I admired the most in the world, I said ‘Mark Soifer. Mark Soifer is the founder of this event. He’s the reason we’re here tonight.’”
This poem was published in the Sentinel in 2008:
Mind In Motion
The mind is like a pendulum
It moves from left to right-
Back again and forth again
Morning, noon and night-
Absorbing thoughts and images
That germinate within-
Until you finally fall asleep
And then the dreams begin.
– MARK SOIFER