Some people make the world a happier place just by being in it.

Dr. Robert Peterson, a longtime optometrist in the McHenry area, was one of those people. He was the epitome of a people person, and he spread sunshine wherever he went.

Sadly, our beloved Dr. Bob, as we all knew him, died Feb. 8. Perhaps you found out about it as I did in his obituary, which was published on Saturday.

I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that when he was in school at the Illinois College of Optometry, he earned the nickname “Dr. Friendly.” Of course, he did. He had a charm and effervescent personality that could win over just about anyone.

He opened his practice in McHenry around 1975, according to his obituary. In 1978, he teamed up with Dr. Dan Jannotta, and Peterson & Jannotta was formed. No doubt there are some people who knew Dr. Bob back then. I met him through my husband in the mid-1990s.

That my husband, Tony, would be a big fan of Dr. Bob also isn’t surprising. They had similar personalities: serious when required, but not afraid to be complete goofballs.

One of my favorite memories was when Dr. Bob was helping Tony get a pair of goggles to use while fighting fires with the McHenry Township Fire Protection District. The goggles would be easier for Tony to wear with his bunker gear.

The day that Tony and I went in to pick up the goggles, Dr. Bob met us while wearing them. They looked like the goggles that old biplane pilots would wear. Dr. Bob looked completely silly in them, but he played it up in a way only Dr. Bob could. Everyone in the office got a good chuckle, and Tony and I would replay that memory to each other for years thereafter.

However, Dr. Bob also was very good at what he did, and he took extra care to make sure his patients were educated about all things to do with the eyes. He was passionate about his job.

He also wasn’t afraid to let me know back when I was in my 20s that my laser focus on tiny print wasn’t going to last forever. Despite not wanting to believe him, I found out he was right. In due time, he helped me get my first pair of bifocals.

Another favorite memory was when I asked him about an eye condition that my mother was diagnosed with when she was living in Georgia. As soon as I asked, he excitedly ran out of the room and got his medical textbook. He looked it up and then went through it with me so that I would understand.

My mother had a condition called blepharospasms, which has to do with eye twitching and can cause one’s eyes to shut and make them hard to open. My mother needed injections in her eyelids to control the condition. However, Dr. Bob mentioned an unusual detail: If the person talks to themselves or sings, it can help them open their eyes.

This tidbit was so weird that it stuck with me. Good thing, too, because it helped me greatly in the years that Mom lived with me. Anytime she had trouble opening her eyes, I’d ask her to sing with me. Her eyes opened, and I’d quietly thank Dr. Bob for the information.

Dr. Bob also had the opportunity to meet my mother. She needed new glasses and, of course, we took her to see Dr. Bob. How my heart melted when he put on the charm with her, making her feel like a queen. Never mind that her dementia probably made it a lot harder for him to do his job; he was just friendly Dr. Bob. And my mother was so proud of her new glasses because she got a lot of compliments. I knew she loved Dr. Bob, too.

That’s the thing: We all loved Dr. Bob. How could we not? I hope his wife, Penny, and the rest of the family can take some comfort in that.

He will be sorely missed, and the world is just a little dimmer because he’s not in it.

• Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.