Leon Levine, an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Family Dollar chain of discount stores, died on April 5 in Charlotte, NC. He was 85.

In 1959, he visited a store in Kentucky that sold nothing costing more than a dollar. He liked the simple concept and, in November 1959, at age 22, he opened a similar store in Charlotte. The company grew rapidly. In 1962, Family Dollar did about $2 million in business ($19.9 million in 1923 money). By the end of 1979, Family Dollar had 380 stores in eight states.