Obituary: Beverlee (Auerbach) Soloff Shere
Beverlee (Auerbach) Soloff Shere, an Atlanta trailblazer, has passed quietly at the age of 91. Beverlee was born on April 15, 1924 in the Bronx, NY and began an incredible life that pushed her to the forefront of American society in each stage of her life. Her first career began when she turned to show business at the ripe age of 4. She was on her way to child stardom when the Great 
Depression laid waste to fabric of society. It is a testament to her strength, courage and endless optimism that led her to face these tough times head on. She poured her focus into perfecting her craft. It worked. She got her break with the Dennis Sisters and by the time she was 15 had found the lights of Broadway. Her star rose high as they worked with all the main acts of the period, from the Three Stooges to Frank Sinatra, from Broadway to Night Clubs, to TV and Film.
By the 1950’s she was at the top of her game. The road grind and changing styles in entertainment led her to retire from a career that spanned 20 years. On News Years Eve, 1957, she married NYC restaurateur Hank Soloff and settled into the life of a homemaker. Their family grew with the birth of their first son, William in 1960. With Hank’s NYC restaurants growing, he looked for other opportunities. His best friend Lou Stoner had left show business and settled into the small but growing city of Atlanta. At his suggestion, Hank opened a Southern version of his NYC eatery. The Coach and Six was born. So was the couple’s second son, Richard in 1962.
The restaurant quickly became a success until Hanks sudden death in 1974. With no business experience and now two sons to raise alone, Bev faced the difficult times with the same focus and determination that had launched her first career. With the staff and the city in doubt that a woman with no business experience could succeed, she set out to prove them wrong. What they didn’t know was that this show business beauty was incredibly smart, fearless, and determined to succeed in a man’s world. Her success was not easy but she quickly turned the restaurant into an Atlanta landmark that shared international praise as one of the top restaurants in America. While presidents, movie stars, astronauts and sports legends made the Coach their favorite Atlanta eatery; her greatest joy was the local patrons who made the Coach the “go to” place for the special occasions in their lives.
It has been almost 25 years since the Coach was closed, if you listen carefully you can still hear her patrons remembering. Bev was quick to use her success as a platform to help many causes. She was a fierce supporter of human rights, her local community and had a great interest in medical research as the focus of her philanthropy. Of all her careers, she most cherished her role as matriarch of her clan. Her depth of wisdom and advice, her incredible ability to bond with a wide variety of personalities, her endless efforts to foster growth, and an wonderful ability to laugh at life, made her cherished by her family.
She is survived by her son, William Soloff; her grand-daughter, Hannah Soloff, her niece. Jodi Stoner, nephews: Adam Stoner, Richard Auerbach and great nephew Jeffrey Auerbach. Nephews: Barry Kissoff and Alan Kissoff. Great-nephews: Lee and Elan Levy; great-niece, Shara Levy, great-great nephews: Gabe and Judah Levy, great-nieces: Jennifer Koppenjan, Leah Retherford and her daughter-in-law, Suzanne Soloff. She was preceded in death by the second love of her life, Ralph Shere, of blessed memory. Sign online guest book at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Jewish Family and Career Services. The funeral will take place at Greenwood Cemetery, Atlanta on Monday, October 26th at 11a.m. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta (770) 451-4999
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