While the Westchester community mourns the loss of all four innocent victims killed in NYC this week, the Katonah community is mourning the loss of Wesley LePatner. LePatner, 43, has family in Katonah. She was the chief executive officer of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, where she worked since 2014. Prior to that she worked for Goldman Sachs and was a graduate of Yale. A spokesperson for Blackstone said Wesley was “brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone.”
She leaves behind her husband and two children. Assemblyman Chris Burdick, who represents Katonah said, “I am thinking about all the families who are grieving today, including the family of Wesley LePatner, CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, who has family in Katonah. My views on the importance of mental health treatment and gun safety have never wavered, and this tragic situation serves as a stark reminder that we must do more on both fronts.”
LePatner’s rise in the workplace on Wall Street led her to become a mentor to women at Blackstone and at her synagogue. She was admired for finding the balance that is so difficult for so many Westchester families, between work and her family.
LePatner also had ties to the UJA-Federation of NY, which does amazing work in Westchester. “We are devastated by the tragic loss of Wesley LePatner, a beloved member of UJA’s community and a member of our board of directors, who was killed in yesterday’s mass shooting in Midtown.
“Wesley was extraordinary in every way — personally, professionally, and philanthropically. An exceptional leader in the financial world, she brought thoughtfulness, vision, and compassion to everything she did. In 2023, we honored her with the Alan C. Greenberg Young Leadership Award at our Wall Street Dinner, recognizing her commitment to our community and her remarkable achievements, all the more notable as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field.
“In the wake of October 7, Wesley led a solidarity mission with UJA to Israel, demonstrating her enduring commitment in Israel’s moment of heartache. She lived with courage and conviction, instilling in her two children a deep love for Judaism and the Jewish people.
“We mourn the loss of a life taken far too soon and extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, Evan; her children; and her entire family. May Wesley’s memory be for a blessing — and a lasting source of strength and inspiration.”
The family asked for privacy during this time. “She was the most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative, who enriched our lives in every way imaginable. To so many others, she was a beloved, fiercely loyal and caring friend, and a driven and extraordinarily talented professional and colleague,” the statement said. “At this unbearably painful time, we are experiencing an enormous, gaping hole in our hearts that will never be filled, yet we will carry on the remarkable legacy Wesley created.”
