Family Dollar founder Leon Levine remembered in Charlotte for philanthropic legacy

Community members and organizations expressed gratitude for Leon Levine’s philanthropic work in the Charlotte area Wednesday as news of his death spread.

Levine, the founder of Family Dollar who gave millions to various causes, was 85.

Although he had success in business, Levine’s greatest legacy may be his charitable work, according to former Bank of America CEO and Levine’s friend of more than 60 years Hugh McColl.

“I think he’ll be remembered as really one of the most generous people that ever lived here,” McColl told The Charlotte Observer. “... He and his wife have done wonderful things together. They’ve looked after people who did not have advantages and have been particularly active in trying to help lift people from poverty and make education available to people who otherwise wouldn’t get it.”

UNC Charlotte graduate Kyle Henson, who received a full scholarship through the school’s Levine Scholars Program, said Levine always made time to build “a personal connection” with students in the program.

Henson recalled having dinner at Levine’s Charlotte home and attending Carolina Panthers games in his suite, adding that the scholarship program also provided internship, study abroad and volunteer opportunities.

“He was really about providing these unique experiences for these young scholars,” the 2018 alumnus said.

Henson, now attending graduate school in Michigan, said the Levine program was part of what attracted him to UNC Charlotte.

“I’m thankful for Leon’s contribution to my personal success,” he said.

In a statement to the Observer, UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber praised Levine and his wife, Sandra, for being “stalwart supporters” of the school.

“Through their generosity, hundreds of Levine Scholars have had the opportunity to pursue excellence in the classroom, while giving back to the community around them,” she said. “UNC Charlotte sends its deepest condolences to Sandra Levine and the entire Levine family as we mourn the passing of a man who helped transform education at our University and has improved the lives of countless Charlotteans.”

Levine also worked with K-12 students, such as through Project LIFT, an initiative to improve graduation rates and performance in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

“He took a leadership role in that effort, both organizationally and financially, and really was a pillar of that effort,” said Anna Spangler Nelson, who invested alongside Levine in the project.

In addition to his work in education, Levine was also passionate about health care, McColl noted, including at the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute.

“Probably what he’s most famous for is the children’s hospital, but the Levine Cancer center has really changed Charlotte,” McColl said. “... Getting all that top talent in cancer research here was really due to his generosity.”

Atrium Health Foundation President Armando Chardiet said in a statement Levine “embodied everything that represented good in the world.”

“No matter where you live in our community, you are likely not far from a charitable organization impacted by Leon and Sandra‘s generous support or something that bears the Levine name,” Chardiet said. “Leon’s greatest gift is his legacy. The programs and facilities he has supported have truly changed the course of care at Atrium Health. Our teammates and patients will forever feel his imprint on their lives.”

Levine was the Atrium Health Foundation’s “largest individual donor,” the group’s statement said.

Sue Worrel, who knew Levine for 20 years, told the Observer that Charlotte’s Shalom Park, a hub for Jewish organizations and the Jewish community, stands out to her as a key part of Levine’s legacy.

“He helped bring it to life both from helping to acquire the land to his generosity when it came time to to build the buildings,” said Worrel, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.

His support of the project was emblematic of his role in the Jewish community, she added.

“He has had a hand in assisting or growing and helping to develop dozens of different Jewish institutions, agencies and organizations. That has fundamentally allowed us to become the thriving Jewish community here in the Greater Charlotte region that we are today,” Worrel said. “None of it would have frankly been possible without him.”

Rabbi Judy Schindler, director of Queens University’s Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center, said “supporting the Jewish community was central to Leon’s life.”

“Leon knew from experience that growing up as a Jewish minority in North Carolina is not easy,” she wrote in a statement to the Observer. “He was a leader in building Shalom Park and in building a Charlotte and North Carolina Jewish community that would make our kids proud and be nationally recognized (and we are). Our North Carolina Jewish community, whether in synagogues or on college campuses across our state and especially here in Charlotte, is stronger and more vibrant and beautiful because of Leon.”

Emily Zimmern and her family first met the Levines through the Jewish community when they moved to Charlotte in the 1980s, but she came to work closely with him through her work at the Levine Museum of the New South.

It would be “hard to overstate the impact” of the Levines on the museum, she said.

“They really recognized the critical importance of learning from the past, and their transformative gifts really allowed the museum to innovate and try all kinds of new methods to use history as catalysts for engagement and dialogue around some of the region’s toughest issues,” Zimmern said.

At the museum and in his other projects, she added, Levine was determined “to give back to the city that supported his business.”

On Twitter, former Urban League of Central Carolinas CEO Patrick Graham credited Levine with the “first large investment” of his tenure at the Urban League’s Urban Youth Empowerment Program.

“He called after seeing us in (The Charlotte Observer) and (WBTV),” Graham wrote. “It inspired our ‘Not at-risk, but at-opportunity’ programs. Rest in Power my brother. You did well!”

Others also shared remembrances about Levine on Wednesday:

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles

Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Symphony

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation

Wingate University President Rhett Brown

“Few Wingate students have left a greater legacy on the Charlotte region than Mr. Levine, who was one of the most determined people to pass through the Gate. We are proud to call him an alum and grateful for his giving spirit. His legacy will live on through our healthcare graduates and scholarship recipients.”