Charles E. Metcalfe, 77, a former accountant, died of a heart attack in Columbia Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center on Tuesday. He was born and raised in Englewood and later attended Northwestern University. Mr. Metcalfe served as a staff sergeant in the Army during World War II. Afterward, he went back to school and took some accounting classes. Over his career, Mr. Metcalfe worked at various law firms around the Loop area, and for seven years he worked as an accountant at the now-defunct Technical Publishing in Barrington. He loved classical music and listened to it from morning to dusk, said his longtime companion, Janet O. Philips. He also loved books, reading everything from mystery novels to John Steinbeck. He suffered the heart attack at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Chicago Public Library four days before dying. “It couldn’t have happened in a better place for him to die,” said his daughter, Alix Elizabeth Metcalfe. He was a longtime member of the Chicago Historical Society and the Art Institute of Chicago. He lived on the Near South Side when he died. Besides his daughter, survivors include a brother; a sister; and two granddaughters. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Blake-Lamb/Bridgeport Funeral Home, 544 W. 31st St. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the funeral home.
