Johns Belk Dies at 71

CHARLOTTE — Family members and friends will gather in Charlotte today for the funeral of businessman and department store heir Thomas M. Belk. He died Saturday of a heart attack.

Belk was one of six children of William Henry Belk, who opened the first Belk department store in Monroe. That store eventually became a chain of stores across the southeast and mid-Atlantic states.

Thomas Belk served as president of Belk Store Services, Inc., and of other Belk store corporations. He was also chairman of The Belk Foundation, which provided financial support to many schools, hospitals and charitable causes. He also helped establish the Charlotte campus of the University of North Carolina, and was a major supporter and benefactor of the institution.

His widow, Katherine, four children, 15 grandchildren and his siblings survive him.

The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. in Myers Park Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery.