I met Robin Williams

At age 9, Stephanie Wilson, left, met Robin Williams while at a camp for sick children. In 1999, she got to perform with Williams at a fundraising gala. "He was hilarious. I wish he had known how much we appreciated him," she said.

When Williams came to Oklahoma City during his Weapons of Self-Destruction tour in 2009, Dan McMaster got to see the star. "I told him that I have waited 30 years for this moment," he said. Afterward, McMaster saw Williams had signed his pass, "Dan, an honor for me too, Robin."

Serni Solidarios ran into Robin Williams in 1986 on the streets of New York and asked him if he would be interested in performing at a university concert. Months later Williams honored the invitation. "I've staged other great legends, but Robin's zaniness and sheer improvisational speed was unmatched," he said.

After being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, David Buist, pictured here in 2004, connected with Williams through his uncle, getting occasional calls from the actor while in treatment. "You can't get a better laugh than a Robin Williams laugh," he said.

While at a press event in 1978, Dean Bowden watched as Williams broke through the line to autograph fans' memorabilia. "I have an extra squiggly mark on my autograph book because it was upside down at first," he said. "Because of him, I went into acting."

Eric Forst met Williams and former U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin at a charity function in Canada in 2005. It was humbling for him to see Williams and Aldrin interact. "(Williams) was this humble person who found himself speechless when another American icon had asked him for his autograph," he said.

Aurora Contreras of the U.S. Navy says meeting Robin Williams aboard the USS Harry S. Truman was one of her fondest memories from her 2004 deployment in the Persian Gulf. Contreras is shown kneeling to the left of the soldier whom Williams was standing behind. "To see him there was a major highlight of our time onboard," she said.

After finishing a set at Los Angeles' Comedy Store in 2006, Kirk Bovill realized Williams was watching from the back entrance. Their producer invited Williams to come on stage, and he did a set with the whole group.

• Robin Williams had a profound effect on the people he met


• Hundreds shared their tributes to Robin Williams via CNN iReport


• Williams visited a cancer patient to fulfill her dying wish

(CNN) -- Robin Williams touched more people emotionally than he will ever know.

After the news broke that the beloved comedic actor had taken his own life on Monday, hundreds of tributes poured in to CNN iReport. Many were from people who had met him over the years.

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"I told him that I have waited 30 years for this moment and that it was an honor. This look came over his face like that comment had really touched him," said Dan McMaster, who met Williams during his Weapons of Self-Destruction tour in 2009.

From a surprise hug for a woman during a stand-up comedy show to visiting a dying child to fulfill her last wish, the stories of how Williams affected those he met were profound. The actor was a longtime supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a big supporter of the United Service Organizations, or USO, which provides support and morale-boosting performances to U.S. troops and their families.

The gallery above features just some of the people who have shared their photos and memories of the star. If you ever had the opportunity to meet Williams, we invite you to share your stories with CNN iReport.

Williams was truly 'Patch Adams'