The news of M&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Wilmers’ death this weekend came as surprise to his many friends in the Western New York region.

"I'm going to miss him personally,” Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, said. “Most people think of him as a guy who was a multi-billionaire that owns a bank. I think of him as Bob Wilmers, a friend of mine who was in fact, willing to come to dinner at my house just last week, but we had to reschedule it."

Wilmers was known for his success in the banking industry, where he helped transform M&T into a national power. In Buffalo, he was also considered one of the driving forces behind the city's redevelopment.

"He was a great and generous friend of our community. We will always be grateful to Bob Wilmers for his many contributions to the Buffalo and Western New York community,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, D, said.

Longtime friend Carl Paladino said he and Wilmers shared many of the same goals for the region, including a keen interest in the education system.

"We had different approaches in the community. He was the quiet guy in the tower,” Paladino said.

Wilmers was also one of the area's most prolific political donors. Paladino said he contributed to the campaigns of candidates from both major parties. Many of those elected leaders continue to influence policy across all levels of government.

"He was supportive of good political people. He was supportive of people that were strong and people that would be effective,” Paladino said.

He said Wilmers’ death leaves a void in the Western New York community he hopes others will step up to fill.

"We hope for the best. We hope to continue things that he started and programs that he was on,” he said.