By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
For nearly four decades, patients across Wood County have trusted one familiar voice when they sat down in the exam chair: “Let’s see what we can do to solve that vision problem.”
Now, after 40 years of practice, longtime Bowling Green optometrist Dr. David Scherreik is preparing to step back from full-time work — closing a chapter that began with a teenage fascination with science and grew into a career serving thousands of patients.
Scherreik traced his interest in optometry back to high school, when he discovered a love for physics and mathematics.
“I liked physics labs and chemistry labs,” he said. “I liked that things had a right or wrong answer. And when you think about it, optics — light transmission, light bending — that’s what optometry is.”
Scherreik grew up in Dayton and spent his first 25 years there before life steered him north. After graduating from the College of Optometry at Ohio State University in 1985, he began exploring opportunities to start a practice.
The right one appeared in Bowling Green.
Dr. Robert L. Hutchinson was selling his East Wooster Street practice after 27 years in Bowling Green. The timing and the location were a great fit for Scherreik, who had family nearby in Archbold.
“The opportunity was here,” Scherreik said. “We came to an agreement, and that was 40 years ago.”
Since opening his practice in 1986, Scherreik estimates he has seen well over 10,000 patients.
“All those filing cabinets are full,” he said.
Though technology and treatment options have evolved over the decades, Scherreik said the heart of the job has remained unchanged.
“I wanted to solve vision problems,” he said. “And that’s really been my goal all along.”
Those solutions come in many forms — glasses, contact lenses and treatment for certain eye diseases. While optometrists are not surgeons, Scherreik said they play a critical role in diagnosing and managing eye health.
Over the years, he has treated injuries, removed tiny metal fragments from eyes and caught potentially serious problems before they became emergencies.
Occasionally, that meant opening the office on days most people would prefer to stay home.
“There are times I’ve come in on Sunday mornings or Christmas Eve because someone had an eye injury,” he said. “If there’s a piece of metal in someone’s eye, you can often take care of that pretty quickly and save them a trip to the ER.”
He also recalled situations where patients described symptoms that sounded routine — like flashes of light or specks in their vision — but turned out to be far more serious.
“A retinal problem can sound like something simple,” Scherreik said. “Then you look in their eye and realize their retina is detaching. That’s when you’re glad they came in.”
Despite those moments, Scherreik insists the most meaningful part of the job has always been the people.
“The interaction with patients has been his focus from the start,” he said. “And most of them are pleasant people. The community here has always been very kind to me.”
Many patients traveled from surrounding communities — including Toledo, Findlay and ??? — often because a friend or family member recommended him.
“That’s probably the best way to choose a professional,” Scherreik said. “Find someone you trust and ask who they go to.”
His connection to the community is one reason Scherreik did not want to simply close his doors and walk away.
Instead, he has arranged for Drs. David Schilling and Nicolas Peiffer, optometrists at Bowling Green Vision Center, 111 Clough Street, to become custodians of his patient records.
Additionally, for the next year, he will work about one day a week from their office, easing the transition for longtime patients.
“I didn’t want people to feel like I just abandoned them,” he said.
A retirement party is planned Monday, March 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the office, 128 S. Prospect St. The public is invited to attend.
Outside the office, Scherreik is looking forward to spending more time with family. His wife Kay has already been retired for several years, and the couple plans to travel, fish and play golf.
He is also eager to visit his grandchildren near Cincinnati and spend more time with his daughter, a wedding photographer living in Virginia.
At age 70, Scherreik said the decision to step back simply felt like the right time.
“You start staring at that number—three score and 10,” he said with a laugh.
More seriously, he said his career has always been guided by his faith.
“I’m grateful to the Lord for guiding me this way,” Scherreik said. “It’s been a blessing.”
Looking back, he says he would not change the path he chose decades ago.
“I’d do it all over again,” he said.
For a man who spent his career helping people see clearly, the future now looks a little different — but just as bright.
