Lakeview bookstore's future uncertain after death of beloved owner
CHICAGO (CBS) – For some, it's a bookstore. To others, it's so much more.
From a place to escape, to a treasure trove of knowledge, but now, the future of a Lakeview bookstore is uncertain. CBS 2's Noel Brennan had the story.
History consumes Jack Stanley's life and his living room.
"You know, I surround myself with books and books are part of my life," Stanley said.
He feels at home here and one other place where bookshelves are fuller than his own.
"John's bookstore, Bookman's Corner," he said. "It was unlike any bookstore you ever saw, because it was organized chaos."
Bookman's Corner, at the corner of Clark and Wellington in Lakeview, served readers with an appetite for books, rare, medium and well done.
All of them were sold by longtime owner John Chandler.
"He had this wonderful sense of dealing with people," Stanley said.
Stanley browsed for books and stuck around for the conversation with Chandler.
"As the years went by, we got a lot closer, and we just enjoyed each other's company," he said. "It was really fun."
Another longtime customer, Miles Thompson, said Bookman's Corner was "probably my favorite bookstore in the world."
"The majority of the books I own come from there," Thompson said. "I loved it because it was so affordable.
"You really never knew what you were going to find in there."
The shelves are overflowing, but the store feels empty.
"There's a big hole," said Stanley.
A sign on the door says Chandler passed away on Feb. 14.
"It's a sad thing to see someone like that just vanish and be gone," Stanley said.
Stanley doesn't know the future of the shop or its contents, but he'll always find comfort in the clutter.
"John is always going to be a part of me," he said.
The shop Chandler ran for more than four decades is now closed, but it's still full of books. Chandler was 87 years old.