Floye Lee Dombalis

She was born July 28, 1926 in Erwin, NC to Junius Paul Lee and Lula Jane Odom Lee. She graduated from Erwin High School, and in May 1945 moved to Raleigh to attend Hardbarger’s Business College. She became the office manager for Aetna Casualty and Surety and later for Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. While working at Aetna, she met and later married her husband John.

After their third child was born, she retired to raise her family, but in the 1960s she was recruited to help out for a few days at the family business, the Mecca Restaurant, and the rest is history. She remained at her beloved Mecca until she was 91, greeting legions of customers with her warm hospitality.

Floye was a member of the NC Restaurant Association, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, and the Wake County Historical Society. She was also a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church where she was a devoted member of the choir and active in the Ladies Philoptochos Society.

On her 80th birthday, she was honored by then Mayor of Raleigh Charles Meeker who issued a proclamation declaring July 28th “Floye Lee Dombalis Day” for “her ever present smiles, her positive attitude, and her contributions to downtown Raleigh.” In 2016, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance presented the Downtown Merchant Legacy Award to Floye and her son Paul.

She was preceded in death by John, her husband of 53 years, son Nicholas Dombalis, her parents, brother Junius Lee, and sister Eula Brown. She is survived by her daughter Mary Dombalis Winstead and husband Jeff of Raleigh, son Paul Dombalis of Kure Beach, daughter-in-law Melissa Dombalis of Raleigh, and sister Martha McLamb of Summerville, SC. She is also survived by grandchildren John Paul Dombalis and wife Leslie, Helen Dombalis and husband Bill Eubanks, Anna Roberts and husband Eric, Caroline Dombalis and husband Logan Baltozer, John Dombalis, and Mary Scott Winstead. She is also survived by step-grandchildren Jackie Mills and husband Ryan, Adam Winstead, Stratford Donnell and wife Ashley, Holli Myers and husband Rob, 7 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews and their spouses who were very special to her. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Pauline Chakeres of Springfield, OH and Mary Dombalis of Richmond, VA.

The family will receive friends at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 5000 Lead Mine Rd. Raleigh, NC 27612 on Monday, April 17th from 5:30-7:30 pm with a Trisagion service at 6:30. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 18th at 11:00 am at the church, with burial to follow at Historic Oakwood Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Holy Trinity Capital Campaign or the Ladies Philoptochos Society.

Arrangements by Brown Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.