CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of people gathered on Monday to pay their respects and say a final goodbye to beloved Charlotte philanthropist Leon Levine.
Levine died last week at his Charlotte home while under Hospice care. The 85-year-old spent much of his life giving back in the community.
He was memorialized at Temple Israel at the Levine Jewish Community Center on Providence Road. The campus was part of Levine’s vision for Charlotte’s Jewish community.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family Dollar founder and NC philanthropist Leon Levine dies ]
His footprint stretched well beyond his faith and the legacy of generosity will continue to be felt for decades.
“Leon Levine will be missed, but his legacy will continue to support all of us and this community,” said Tom Lawrence, president of the Leon Levine Foundation.
Levine shared his fortune with the Queen City, focusing on health care, education, and other causes within the community, but his beginnings were humble.
He was born in Wadesboro in 1937. At the age of 22 he used a $6,000 investment to open the first Family Dollar store along Central Avenue in Charlotte. It became an American success story, growing into a Fortune 500 company.
In the 1980s, Leon joined with his wife, Sandra, to start the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in the southeast.
From the Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Children’s Hospital, he also supported institutions in education and the Jewish faith.
“It was the second career of philanthropy which truly showed his character,” Lawrence said. “Here was a man who could have done anything in his retirement, but (he) never stopped spending his time and resources helping those who helped him. “
Levine was buried last Wednesday in the Charlotte Hebrew Cemetery before the Jewish festival of Passover.
For more information about Leon Levine or his foundation, please click here.
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