Gerald Leonard Katell

LA Real Estate Developer, Philanthropist Jerry Katell Dies

LOS ANGELES – Jerry Katell, who credited his self-reliance, integrity and determination for driving him to become one of southern California’s most prominent real estate developers, while dedicating himself to love of family and philanthropy, has died. Katell, who was 85, died Thursday (August 13) at Belmont Village Senior Living in Westwood, Los Angeles, after suffering a stroke in 2022, then complications.

Born Gerald L. Katell on January 29, 1941, in Bronx, NY, and raised in Brooklyn and Wantagh, NY, he described himself on social media as: “Commercial and industrial real estate developer, film/musical producer, actor, photographer, singer.” He sang in his final days, including his favorite “It Had to be You,” accompanying a recording of himself on a music streaming service. He said his late-in-life singing was playing catch-up to his musical Katell family.

After a long association and mentorship with southern California builder Ray Watt, the centerpiece of his career became Katell Properties LLC, which he founded in 1976 to pursue commercial, industrial, and residential real estate development and asset and property management. The company developed more than 5 million square feet, including southern California industrial and commercial real estate projects Agoura Hills Business Park and Valencia Technology Park. Another project was a shopping center in Los Angeles’ Chesterfield Square, the cornerstone of an effort to help turn around a neighborhood in need, with basketball star and businessman Magic Johnson as an ally.

In a 2021 autobiographical documentary “Dreambuilder” that he commissioned, Katell said one key to his success was: “Follow your dream.” “I had a dream to be a real estate developer,” he said. “I just knew that’s what I wanted… Granted, it also takes luck… I never lost sight of that dream and my passion for that dream.”

Other factors in his success, he recalled, were “to listen and to deal properly and have a good reputation,” based on honesty and ethics. Not all of his projects were successful, and from those, he learned “to be careful about what you’re doing” and “to bounce back after a failure.” His resume included forming a development partnership with Watt Industries, Inc. and leading Parking Structures International, which designed and built parking structures for hospitals, universities, corporations, municipalities and shopping centers.

Katell served in leadership and advisory roles with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and applied his expertise to construction of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Other roles were in the Urban Land Institute, the Urban Land Foundation, the Lusk Center for Real Estate Development at University of Southern California and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was a leader and member of several corporate executive groups, such as the Young Presidents’ Organization. Katell received his B.S. in Civil Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962, and two years later, his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Inspired by what he learned in the classroom and early life experiences, Katell adopted a risk-taking and adventurous approach. “The secret of life is just always being open to new things, meeting new people, trying new things, and leaving a positive mark on the world,” he said in the documentary. That led to a wide variety of pursuits, including in entertainment. He helped produce musical plays and acted in the films “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” and “The Retrievers,” the latter of which earned him membership in the Screen Actor’s Guild. Despite his dedication and success in business, in the 2021 documentary, he cited dramatically growing a non-profit as “the best thing I’ve ever done.” That was LA’s BEST, which provides after-school education and enrichment for elementary school children from low-income families. Katell served as board chair from 1998-2007.

Family was what his son, Andrew Steven Katell, cited as Katell’s biggest contribution. “His legacy is more importantly with us, maybe, the children – how he’s been a role model. I think that’s more important than all the material stuff,” his son said in the documentary. Katell was the only child of Abraham and Sylvia (Merker) Katell. After Jerry Katell’s mother died when he was 11, Abraham Katell married Lillian Katell, who then bore daughter Wendy and twin sons Andrew Richard and Gabriel. Jerry Katell’s 1964 marriage to Linda (Frantz) Katell ended in divorce in 1987. He was married to Sharon (Prewitt) Katell from 1991 until her death in 1999. He is survived by Linda, Andrew Steven, daughters Jennifer Katell and Stacey Scott, Gabriel and Andrew Richard, and Wendy (Katell) Hersh. Daughter Pamela Katell died earlier this year.

An immediate private family burial is planned, with a larger celebration of life to be held later.

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