Copyright Arkansas Online
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 neighbor and physician of extraordinary capabilities," Hill said. "His career in ophthalmology was particularly appreciated at Arkansas Children's Hospital as he was so active in the pediatric ophthalmology practice." Hill served on the Children's Hospital board for 15 years. "Henry was a Renaissance man," said Bob Brown, a former justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court. "He was brilliant. He was one of the top ophthalmologists in the state. He was also an aviator. I remember one of the first times I flew to Fayetteville, Henry was the pilot. ... He was a good pilot from my perspective. We didn't crash." Besides flying planes and practicing ophthalmology, Thomas played the saxophone and guitar. He hunted ducks, played golf and enjoyed fine restaurants, fine wine, art, and spending time with his friends and family. He also liked sports cars and motorcycles. Arthur Henry Thomas was born in Little Rock on Oct. 3, 1942. He attended Little Rock public schools and Culver Military Academy in Indiana. Thomas graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was a member and president of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He completed his studies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, serving as president of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society in 1968. That same year, he married Martina "Marti" Moss Thomas of Siloam Springs. They had been dating since 1965. They met while both were in school at UAMS, where she was studying medical technology. They had two daughters, now named Catherine Langley and Elizabeth Smith, both of Little Rock. Thomas interned in surgery at Parkland Hospital in Dallas before serving two years in the U.S. Army as a flight surgeon in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross, according to an obituary written by Langley. Thomas completed an ophthalmology residency at UAMS and a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) at Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. After he returned home to Little Rock, Thomas established a private practice. He also was a professor, teaching at UAMS and Arkansas Children's Hospital. In addition, he served on the staff at Baptist Eye Center, Doctors Hospital and St. Vincent Infirmary, according to Langley. He was president of the Arkansas Ophthalmological Society, chief of ophthalmology at Arkansas Children's Hospital and chief of surgery at Doctors Hospital. Before his retirement, he joined the faculty of the Jones Eye Institute at UAMS and Arkansas Children's Hospital full time. Upon his retirement, he was named professor emeritus at UAMS. Fred Harrison, former general counsel for the University of Arkansas System, said he and Thomas had been good friends since junior high school. "We used to go carolling with Henry and his family at Christmastime," said Harrison. "I guess the thing that would strike me the most about Henry -- aside from his good humor and just being a genuine, decent person -- was the wide breadth and variety of interests he had." Howard Cockrill said he and Thomas became close friends in medical school. "We studied together and partied together for four years and have been fast friends ever since," Cockrill said. "We've been in a couple of different clubs together. He was very smart and very moral. His beautiful wife was just perfect for him. And he had two fine daughters who are both here in Little Rock and are successful in their careers."
