CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Family and friends gathered Monday to celebrate the life of a prominent Charlottean.
The memorial service for Leon Levine was held Monday at Temple Israel on Providence Road. Officials said the funeral was private and by invite only.
Levine founded Family Dollar Stores in 1959 with the first store opening on Charlotte's Central Avenue. And although Family Dollar has grown to over 8,000 stores across the country, Levine is most remembered as a philanthropist who donated millions toward advancing Charlotte's medical resources.
According to Atrium Health, Levine is the largest individual donor to the Atrium Health Foundation.
His donations to Atrium began in 1987 with a pledge to support the Children's Medical Network. Levine continued to be a big supporter of pediatric health in the area and donated $10 million to establish the Levine Children's Hospital in 2003.
Levine's name can be found across the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. He was a self-made man who shared much of his wealth with the city he called home through the Leon Levine Foundation, which was founded in 1980. In 2015, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont announced the naming of their 160,000-square-foot campus in honor of Leon Levine. The new building was named "The Leon Levine Opportunity Center." The Leon Levine Foundation donated $1.2 million to Goodwill for the project.
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