BONNERS FERRY — After 37 years of looking into the eyes of the community, Dr. Mark Barker is retiring from his optometry business.

For Barker the best part of his business was helping people with eye care. Therefore, he couldn’t just close his doors.

The doors are still open but a different optometrist is inside.

Dr. Thomas Wiley, a long-time optometrist friend, wanted to come out of retirement and work a few days a week. So Wiley is running his own optometry practice in Barker’s building on Main Street until Barker can sell his practice.

“It worked out for both of us,” said Barker.

Wiley practiced optometry for more than 20 years in Sandpoint. Prior to that he was an associate professor and lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley where he directed the program in eye disease and lectured in multiple programs.

Wiley is looking forward to serving the vision needs of the community.

“Everything is the same except a new optometrist,” said Barker. “The arrangement is working out perfectly.”

Same location, same phone number, same services, said Barker. All warranties are still valid and all the records are still there for Wiley to refer back to.

“I wanted to stop the day to day work,” said Barker, who can still be seen snowblowing the sidewalk outside the building. “Being a business man has gotten harder.”

The increased paperwork with insurance has been one of the many changes over Barker’s 37 years of practice in Bonners Ferry.

Many patients may remember Barker’s previous locations. When he first began his practice in Bonners Ferry in September 1977 he was located in Tim Wilson’s building on Main Street.

Then in 1978 he and Dr. Hill, MD, shared a building near the Hawkin’s House.

The building is no longer there because U.S. Highway 95 was expanded.

In March 1998, Dr. Barker moved to his current location on Main Street where he practiced until Nov. 17, 2014.

Without a friend suggesting optometry school when veterinary school didn’t pan out, Barker wouldn’t have had the opportunity to help the people of Boundary County.

“I’ve really enjoyed living most of my life in Bonners Ferry,” said Barker. “I really thank the people of Bonners Ferry and Boundary County for being my patients. Boundary County has been good to me, my family and people.”

Barker plans on staying here and going fishing. While he doesn’t foresee coming back part-time, he still has his state license to help fill-in for Wiley if needed.

Wiley offers the same services as Barker including eye exams, glasses, contact lenses, treatment of some eye diseases, eye emergencies and eye infections.

• Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wiley can be reached at 267-2020 or 7177 Main Street.