Remembering Doug Lebda
Plus: Bar-B-Q King could be next longtime restaurant to close; Election Hub features candidate info; Podcast on finding purpose after retirement; Thousands rally in uptown; State fair gastronomy
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LendingTree CEO who died last week is praised as ‘Charlotte’s own Bill Gates and Steve Jobs’; friends and family recall his energy, creativity … and late-night kitchen snack runs
At the memorial service at Founders Hall on Sunday for LendingTree CEO Doug Lebda, family friend Sally Hendrick plays “Make You Feel My Love,” in front of a photo of Lebda; Lebda’s daughters Abby and Rachel recall their dad — including his “aggressive ChatGPT addiction,” a love of gardening and the ocean and “the ability to cry at just about anything.” (Images from YouTube livestream)
by Ken Garfield
Some 800 family, friends and colleagues gathered Sunday afternoon to celebrate the life and mourn the untimely death of Doug Lebda.
Many more watched via livestream as the CEO of Charlotte-based LendingTree was remembered as a guy who’d pick up the phone or walk into a board room and declare, “I have an epiphany.” Sometimes several a day.
That creative spirit, his friend Brent Beason told Sunday’s gathering at Founders Hall, helped make LendingTree a giant in the financial services world.
As Beason put it. “He’s the only guy in heaven with a dry marker to scribble down a plan on a wall to make heaven better.”
Lebda, 55, died on Oct. 12 while riding a UTV (utility vehicle) on his farm near Tryon, N.C., 90 miles west of Charlotte. Seth Laws, a friend who was helping Lebda get the farm up and running, told The Ledger that Lebda was riding up a hill when the UTV hit a stump and turned over.
“That farm was his happy place,” Laws said, “It reminded him of his childhood growing up (in Pennsylvania), going to his grandma’s farm.”
Talking about his friend before the service, Laws smiled at another thought. Laws was the captain of Lebda’s boat. “He was the only person I know who owned a boat who got seasick.”
The weekend before his death, Lebda played in a golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club with another friend, Joe Alala. They talked about their families and golf game, and about how artificial intelligence was changing the business landscape. LendingTree, Lebda told his pal, was going to have to change with it. “He was going to lead the pivot,” Alala said.
Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996. Based today in South End, the company matches consumers with companies offering financial products such as mortgages, credit cards, car loans and insurance. Think of it as an online marketplace — a very successful one with $900M in revenue in 2024 and 900-plus employees.
Lebda’s business instincts were praised at Sunday’s gathering.
“His beautiful mind never stopped searching for new insights,” said Lebda’s friend, former Charlotte Mayor and N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory. “He was Charlotte’s own Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. … The only difference is he had a much bigger heart.”
His big heart and Christian conviction were praised.
Beason paraphrased that familiar Bible verse — “Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me” — to acknowledge his friend’s generosity, including through the Lebda Family Foundation. Among the projects he supported was a school-based virtual medical care program to care for small and underserved N.C. communities. He also mentored young entrepreneurs, a pursuit for which he was clearly qualified.
Family pastor David Chadwick said Lebda had found Jesus and is waiting in eternity for others to join him. “Doug Lebda has never been more alive than he is right now,” Chadwick said.
It was a unique setting for a memorial service — in Founders Hall, at Trade and Tryon, in the heart of this city of commerce. But where better to honor the life of one of the city’s leading entrepreneurs and tech giants?
It was also a unique service, featuring “Amazing Grace,” the 23rd Psalm and Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Beason said he lobbied for T-shirts and Flip-Flops — the slide show of photos featured an informally dressed Lebda at work and play — but Sunday best prevailed at the memorial service.
Daughters Rachel and Abby Lebda, in remarks to a crowd filled with LendingTree employees and business and civic leaders, spoke not of their dad’s accomplishments. There were more important things on their hearts.
Rachel said she can still hear the sound of her father shuffling around the kitchen deep into the night, looking for an after-midnight snack.
Abby, clutching a cross and a tissue, recalled him gardening while taking board calls and said her dad was “a master of the late-night kitchen creations.”
“I can still picture him at 3 a.m. assembling an elaborate ice cream sundae with anything he could find in the fridge, taking exactly one bite and then leaving it in the freezer for weeks,” she said.
She said her father had the gift of taking an ordinary moment and turning it into a story to remember. “He was full of heart, full of life and never afraid to show it. … I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be able to call him my dad.”
Freelance writer/editor Ken Garfield is a frequent contributor to The Ledger. Reach him at garfieldken3129@gmail.com.
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Related Ledger articles:
“911 call shows confusion when LendingTree CEO was missing” (Oct. 17)
“LendingTree CEO was riding alone on UTV, report suggests” (Oct. 15)
“LendingTree’s Doug Lebda bought a 227-acre ‘outdoorsman’s escape’ in Polk County 3 months before his death” (Real Estate Whispers, Oct. 14)
“How Doug Lebda built one of Charlotte’s original tech companies” (Oct. 13)
Today’s supporting sponsor is Landon A. Dunn, attorney-at-law in Matthews:
Next longtime Charlotte restaurant to close: Bar-B-Q King on Wilkinson? City records show it could become a bank
Bar-B-Q King on Wilkinson Boulevard, founded in 1959, has stuck with curbside service and a classic menu of pork barbecue and fried chicken. (Photo: Google Maps)
Tributes started pouring in online on Sunday recalling all the good times at Bar-B-Q King, a drive-in on Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte that is one of Charlotte’s oldest restaurants.
A member of the Facebook group “Charlotte over the years 2” posted a photo Sunday morning of a sign near the Bar-B-Q King cash register that read: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of Bar-B-Q King on Nov. 1. Thank you for your support all these years.”
Bar-B-Q King opened in 1959, which puts it in the top 10 oldest restaurants in Charlotte, according to a running list by The Charlotte Observer that is frequently updated as old restaurants close. The oldest restaurant in Charlotte is believed to be Providence Road Sundries on Providence Road, which dates to 1933. It took the top spot after uptown’s Green’s Lunch closed in 2023.
The Ledger was unable to independently confirm the pending closing of Bar-B-Q King on Sunday, as the restaurant was closed and we could not reach the owner. However, city planning department records show that in September, paperwork was submitted for a project at the site described as: “Proposed FNB Bank branch located at 2900 Wilkinson Blvd. at the existing BBQ King.”
Besides Green’s Lunch, other longtime restaurants that have closed in the last few years include Gus’ Sir Beef, Philadelphia Deli, Mr. K’s, Bill Spoon’s Barbecue and Price’s Chicken Coop.
Although development pressures and rising land values frequently play a role in the closure of old restaurants in Charlotte, it’s also true that aging owners often are looking to retire after running their businesses on weekends and evenings for decades.
Bar-B-Q King owner Gus Karapanos told WBTV in 2021: “I’ve been doing this for close to, you know, honestly, I quit counting. It’s almost, I think over 40 years that I’ve been doing this. It becomes a way of life.”
He said the restaurant — which operates virtually the same way it did 60 years ago, including the menu and curbside ordering — had waiters and cooks that had worked there for nearly 40 years.
Food Network personality Guy Fieri visited the restaurant in 2007 for an episode of his show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Bar-B-Q King serves pork barbecue and fried chicken and is also known for its onion rings.
Property records show the owners have four parcels at the site totaling nearly 1.8 acres. WBTV reported in 2023 that the land was up for sale.
Comments on Facebook included:
“I literally can’t get over this. I’ve actually shed tears over this news.”
“Best spot to eat delicious BBQ soul food, drive in, and chill with family or date night with your boo”
“A minced BBQ sandwich, onion rings, and a cherry coke, what a meal!!”
—Tony Mecia
🇺🇸 The Election Hub has all the info you need to cast an informed vote
Early voting continues this week — and The Election Hub is back and loaded with straightforward, helpful and easy-to-read information on every candidate in Mecklenburg County, from school board to city and town councils (plus info on the transit tax referendum).
And for the first time, through a partnership with the Gaston Business Association, it has information on candidates in Gastonia, Belmont and Mount Holly.
Once a part of The Charlotte Ledger, The Election Hub is now a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen democracy by making it easy for every citizen to find, understand and act on clear, nonpartisan information about what is on their ballot.
➡️ Check out information on the election and candidates here.
Online candidate forums this week: school board + Charlotte City Council
Join The Charlotte Ledger, QCity Metro and The Election Hub for two free virtual candidate forums this week — a chance for voters to hear directly from the people who want to represent them on the Charlotte City Council and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.
The forums are:
CMS Board of Education Candidate Forum:
🗓 Tuesday, October 21, 2025 — 6-7 p.m.
Register here to attend and receive your Zoom link.
Charlotte Mayoral and City Council Candidate Forum:
🗓 Thursday, October 23, 2025 — 6-7 p.m.
Register here to attend and receive your Zoom link.
Early voting runs through Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
🎧 New podcast: How a Charlotte real estate finance exec found purpose after retirement
After more than 40 years in Charlotte’s real estate and banking world, Sallie Jarosz couldn’t wait to retire. But just a few months in, the excitement faded — and she realized that life without deadlines, deals or daily purpose wasn’t as relaxing as she’d imagined.
In a recent episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Jarosz talks with host Steve Dunn about how she found new meaning through Fields of Hope, a Charlotte nonprofit that helps survivors of sex trafficking rebuild their lives. Drawing on her business skills and leadership experience, she’s helping the organization strengthen its foundation — and finding fulfillment in giving back.
Every week, The Charlotte Ledger Podcast features in-depth conversations with people shaping Charlotte’s business, civic and cultural life. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.
🎧 Check out The Charlotte Ledger Podcast
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
FRIDAY: “Family Workshop: Spooky Scary,” 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Arts+ Community Campus, 2304 The Plaza. Come and join Arts+ for a fun evening with activities for the whole family to enjoy! Join in on group music performances, explore instruments with talented music instructors, create colorful artworks to take home with teaching artists and enjoy a sweet treat! Activities and games are designed with preschool and elementary-aged students in mind. $15 for children 3-12. Free for adults and children 2 and under.
FRIDAY: “Senior Scholars Weekly Meetings,” 10-11 a.m., at Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road. Join the members of Senior Scholars as Dr. Alexa Royden, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Queens University, discusses the current and possible future status of international human rights law. $5 for guests. $25 annual membership.
OCTOBER 27: “Charlotte’s History is the Star,” 6-9 p.m., at The Ivey, 6030 Park South Drive. Join The Ivey in conversation with Charlotte author Joy Callaway for a look back at days past and her novel, “The Star of Camp Greene,” set in the United States Army training facility of the same name in Charlotte in 1918. $20/ticket.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief:
Thousands rally in uptown: Thousands attended the “No Kings” rally in uptown Charlotte on Saturday, organized by Indivisible Charlotte to promote democracy and protest authoritarianism, with no incidents or arrests reported. (WSOC)
CMS pay: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has 427 employees earning six-figure salaries — up from 352 last year — with top district leaders all making over $205,000 and Superintendent Crystal Hill’s pay rising 6% to $318,270. (Charlotte Business Journal, subscriber-only)
4 separate homicides over the weekend: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating four separate homicides that occurred across the city between early Saturday and early Sunday, marking what CMPD called “a tragically violent weekend” in Charlotte. One was in the parking lot of Coyote Joe’s on Wilkinson Boulevard at 1:25 a.m. Sunday. (WFAE)
Charlotte FC in the playoffs: Charlotte FC will open the Major League Soccer playoffs by hosting New York City FC on Oct. 28 at Bank of America Stadium in a best-of-three series. The team won Saturday to clinch home-field advantage in the first round but will be without star Wilfried Zaha in the first playoff game because Zaha received a red card. The second game will be Nov. 1 in New York and the third game, if needed, would be in Charlotte on Nov. 7. (Carroll Walton on X/Twitter)
Speed cameras face hurdles: A new North Carolina law that took effect Oct. 1 allows local governments to install speed-detection cameras, but with no financial incentive and past legal issues over red-light cameras, it’s unclear whether any cities or counties will actually adopt them. (The Assembly)
Bagel line: Customers lined up down the block at the opening of the first North Carolina location of PopUp Bagels, at The Bowl at Ballantyne. (Charlotte Ledger on Instagram)
New gut-busters at state fair: The North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh features 88 new foods this year, including standout creations such as deep-fried lamb chops, cinnamon-sugar mozzarella corn dogs and pimento-cheese-and-pork BBQ balls. Officials say food is the biggest draw at the state fair, which this year runs through Oct. 26. (Carolina Journal)
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