According to Oxford Learner's Dictionary(http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/cheerful), the secondary meaning of the word cheerful is: giving you a feeling of happiness:
Examples: 1) a bright, cheerful restaurant.
2) walls painted in cheerful (= light and bright) colours.
3) a chatty, cheerful letter.
All these examples are about inanimate objects. Can the meaning not be applied to a person?