Barbara Leven is mostly recognized as the first wife of Leon Levine. Levine, the creator of Family Dollar and a native of North Carolina, passed yesterday at the age of 85.
His Foundation provided confirmation to Channel 9. Levine was well known for his services to Charlotte’s community, the medical community, and educational institutions.
The major scholarship initiatives in North Carolina were also funded by him. His unwavering generosity left a lasting influence on the Carolinas, where he is honored by a number of organizations.
Born in Wadesboro in 1937, Leon Levine attended Rockingham High School and graduated in 1955. At the age of 22, he invested $6,000 to open the first Family Dollar Store in Charlotte.
He came up with the idea for the store after visiting a number of establishments in Tennessee that sold things for less than $1. Levine decided to mark everything down to less than $2, including clothing and household goods.
The budget-conscious Americans’ go-to retailer eventually expanded to become a Fortune 400 company. There is still the old Central Avenue store.
In 1980, Levine and his wife established the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the largest in the Southeast. It supports programs and organizations that promote Jewish identity, human services, healthcare, and education. The foundation has established endowment scholarships at many universities, including UNC Charlotte.
Leon Levine (Family Dollar) first wife: Who is Barbara Leven?
Leon Levine’s first wife was Barbara. She and Leon were married in February after he first met her in the summer. Barbara was a Chicago native. When Leon was 22 years old and still married to Barbara, he founded the first Family Dollar Store.
Barbara, unfortunately, lost her battle with breast cancer in 1966. In 1978, Leon wed Sandra Poliakoff once more. It’s important to note that Sandra and Barbara were friends and acquaintances in the 1960s.