Henry Thomas saw a cross-eyed boy at the Pin Oak Duck Club in Dewitt. The boy, 10 or 12 years old at the time, was the caretaker's son. Thomas, an ophthalmologist, knew he could help.

"He got the kid to come up to Little Rock, and he fixed his eyes," said Charlie Whiteside. "He fixed this little kid up and changed his life."

Thomas, 83, died Monday in Little Rock after a brief illness. He had spent much of his life changing the lives of others.

That surgery on the caretaker's son took place a long time ago, said Whiteside, but it provided insight on the kind of person Thomas was.

"That story combines his love of the outdoors, camaraderie and generosity of spirit," said U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., who had been Thomas' neighbor for about 25 years.

"Dr. Thomas was a great friend and n

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