Leroy Robinson

CHARLOTTE - Mr. Leroy Robinson of Charlotte, North Carolina died on December 30, 2015. A service to celebrate his life will be held at 3 pm on Saturday, January 2, 2016 at Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte with the Reverend Dr. William Jeffries officiating. Visitation will be held immediately following the service in the church atrium. A private burial with Military Honors will be at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte.

Mr. Robinson was born in Southern Pines, North Carolina, on September 3, 1922, son of the late Odell F. Robinson and Mamie Kellis Robinson of Candor, North Carolina.

He was devoted to his family, which included his wife of 57 years, the late Teresa Zetzl Robinson, who died on December 16, 2002; his two sons and daughters-in-law, Roland J. and Chylene Robinson and Wayne F. and Tara Robinson of Charlotte; three grandchildren, Christina Quinn and husband Patrick, Whitney Braddock and husband Dave, and Jonathan Robinson of Charlotte; sister, Inez Comer of Asheboro, North Carolina; a brother, Hoyle L. Robinson of Orlando, Florida; sisters-in-law, Virginia Robinson of Hampton, Virginia and Brigitte Zetzl of Trebsau, Germany; and brother-in-law, Willi Sambale of Weiden/Oberpfalz, Germany.

After graduation from Candor High School in 1939, Mr. Robinson attended Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University). During World War II he joined the U.S. Army in 1944 and was a member of the 102nd Infantry Division in Europe in the Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. He continued to serve as an officer with the military occupation forces in Germany for two years before returning home in 1947 to re-enter Wake Forest. While stationed in Europe, Mr. Robinson met his wife Teresa in Weiden/Oberpfalz, Germany.

Mr. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1950 and subsequently a Bachelor of Laws (LL B.) degree in 1951 from Wake Forest. Upon his graduation, he was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in March 1951 and joined Belk Stores Services, Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 16, 1951, as assistant general counsel. Within the year, however, he was called back to military service in 1952 during the Korean Conflict as an officer in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. While in Washington, he earned his Master of Laws (LL M.) degree from George Washington University Law School.

Mr. Robinson played a key role in the success and growth of the Belk department store organization during a career spanning more than 50 years. In June 1968, after serving in the company's legal department for 17 years, he became executive vice president and supervising partner of Belk Brothers Company, which operated Belk stores throughout the Charlotte region. During his tenure in this position, Belk opened its flagship store at SouthPark Mall in Charlotte in 1970 and the Belk Brothers group was expanded to include 15 stores.

He announced his retirement from Belk in December 1988; however, he continued to serve as a consultant to John Belk and Tom Belk and in November 1989, he was asked to become the company's general counsel, a position he held until 1995. He continued to be a close friend and consultant to John Belk, retired chairman and CEO of Belk, and served as a member of The Belk Foundation board of advisors.

Mr. Robinson served on the boards of directors of many of the various Belk store corporations until their consolidation into Belk, Inc. in 1998, and led numerous important legal and business initiatives for the company in such areas as real estate, insurance, management succession and corporate reorganizations.

Throughout his career at Belk, he provided support and leadership to many civic, educational and community service organizations aimed at improving the business, education and cultural climate in the Charlotte region. Examples of his community involvement and leadership roles include: United Way (chairman of 1972 annual fund drive and president, 1975 United Way board); Greater Charlotte Chamber of Commerce (board chairman, 1985); Charlotte Uptown Development Corporation (member, board of directors); American Red Cross (member, National Board of Governors, 1975 and chairman, Mecklenburg County Chapter, 1967); Central Piedmont Community College (member, board of trustees, 1986 - 1991 and president of CPCC Foundation, 1976); Charlotte Rotary Club (member, board of directors, 1974); and leadership positions in major capital fund drives for Queens University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, Central Piedmont Community College and Presbyterian Hospital.

Mr. Robinson additionally had served as a member of the boards of directors of PCA International, Lance, Inc., and the Charlotte board of First Union National Bank (now Wells Fargo), and in 1989, was recipient of the Excellence in Management Award from the Charlotte Chamber, the Charlotte Rotary Club and The Business Journal in Charlotte. In 1993, he and his wife established the Leroy and Teresa Robinson Scholarship Fund at Wake Forest University that provides scholarships to deserving high school students from Montgomery County, North Carolina, where Mr. Robinson was raised.

Mr. Robinson was an active member of Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte and before that had been a member for many years of Dilworth United Methodist Church. He enjoyed playing golf and was a member of Quail Hollow Country Club and Charlotte City Club.

The family would like to thank the doctors and staff of the Stewart Health Center at the Cypress for their care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Teresa and Leroy Robinson Fund at Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211.

Harry & Bryant Company is serving the family.