Craig Soffe

Craig Soffe
May 9, 1944 — May 26, 2026

Craig Soffe, 82, of South Jordan, Utah, passed away on May 26, 2026. He was born May 9, 1944, in Long Beach, California.

Craig was, above all, kind. A gentle soul who thought of others first and accepted people exactly as they were.

He sought out the good purposefully: good music, good art, good experiences with family and friends. He saw beauty everywhere and spent his life bringing it home. His house was full of plants, art, flowers, and color, all tended with the same patient care he gave the people he loved. He had a true green thumb. Bonsai, succulents, anything that grew — his pots became art pieces. Just last week, he went up Millcreek Canyon with some family members to gather moss; by the time anyone thought to ask about it, he had already planted it into a terrarium.

He loved music, especially the West Coast jazz he grew up on. Over the years he saw Dave Brubeck, Ahmad Jamal, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and many others — some early in life, and many again later on with friends and family. He also made it to places he had long wanted to see: London and around England, and Italy.

He made a career of the same instinct that filled his home. He spent most of his working life in interior design, beginning in retail displays, then moving into commercial and office interiors. On the side he ran a freelance floral business, creating arrangements for businesses, weddings, and holidays — bringing beauty into other people's lives the way he brought it into his own. He grew up in San Diego, a place he loved his whole life and returned to often with his family. He served a mission and attended Brigham Young University. Life had not always been easy. He faced real challenges along the way and never complained. He pushed through, kept showing up, and didn't let bad get in the way of good.

As a father, he showed up — concerts, festivals, hockey games, wherever the family was going. He was supportive in a quiet way: if you needed him, he was there, usually before you asked. He passed on a love of cooking to his sons, and a belief that what mattered most was experiences, memories, and good food shared with the people you love.

As Papa, he never forgot a birthday and rarely missed his granddaughter's dance recitals, the older boys' baseball games, or the twins' soccer games — as well as countless art shows, programs, and school plays. For decades, "Papa Saturdays" meant he was on his way to see his sons and grandkids. He taught them to cook "Papa noodles" — a simple pasta with butter, garlic, and parmesan that the next generation still makes for their own kids and friends. He hand-made corsages and boutonnieres with his older grandkids for their high school dances, a tradition the kids always looked forward to. He wrapped gifts in handmade paper, sewed quilts out of old jeans, and brought back silly toys from Chinatown. He gave generously of what he had, often in the form of the $2 bills his grandkids, nieces, and nephews learned to treasure.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wally and Frances Soffe, and his grandmother Catherine, who was a big part of his early life and whom he loved dearly. He is survived by his two sons and daughters-in-law, Hadley and Jeanette and Alex and Lisa; his brother, Brent Soffe (Jill); seven grandchildren — Sammy, Lucy, Kate, Zeke, Eli, Ben, and Taylor; many nieces and nephews; cherished friends and neighbors; and a whole lot of plants.

A private family viewing will be held. A celebration of his life — fun and full of life, the way he lived — will follow later this summer.

He lived simply, but he always chose good and beauty. He taught us what's truly important, not by what he said, but by how he lived.