Tom Smith built a wonderful life with wife Kathleen, helped raise three terrific children and gave back to the community.
Not only that, he made it look easy, friends said.
The longtime dentist, Boy Scouting volunteer, Rotarian, husband and father with a ready sense of humor died Wednesday surrounded by his family. He had been hospitalized since having an apparent heart attack while driving Monday morning. He was 62.
Gary Speed's friendship with Smith goes back to their days at Hendrix College in Conway in 1974. He said he has nothing but admiration for his friend.
"Tom did it all right in his life," Speed said Thursday. "He made it look easy. He married a smart, beautiful woman. They raised three smart, beautiful children and led an exemplary life."
Perhaps nothing reflected Smith's values more than his service to Troop 30 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Little Rock.
"Tom exemplified all the ideals of Scouting as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law," Speed said.
Smith's one regret in life might have been quitting Scouts as a young man before he had earned the rank of Eagle, the highest rank, Speed said. He more than made up for it.
As his two sons advanced in Scouting, first as Cub Scouts in Pack 30 and then on to Troop 30 and Crew 30, Smith was there every step of the way.
"He made sure they had every opportunity to become an Eagle Scout," Speed said.
Not only did they reach the Eagle rank, both went on to earn several Silver Palms, which are awarded for earning merit badges beyond the minimum required for Eagle.
While his sons moved on -- one is working on his Ph.D. in engineering and the other is in medical school -- Smith remained with Troop 30.
Speed figured Smith has helped 50-60 other boys attain the Eagle rank. Another friend, Jim Ingram, said Smith might have guided as many as 75 boys to Scouting's highest rank.
That doesn't count the hundreds of other boys whose lives he influenced as a Scouting volunteer.
Ingram said his son, Austin, now is in dental school thanks to Smith's mentoring.
Smith "just had a very giving heart," Ingram said. "He will certainly be missed in our troop, in his practice and in our community."
The wider community also benefited from the time Smith devoted to Scouting.
"He had a strong sense of giving back to the community," Ingram said. "The best example of that is Connor Park."
Smith helped Troop 30, through Eagle Scout projects, develop Connor Park, a city park in west Little Rock. Members of the troop have built paths, benches, picnic tables and a bridge around the park lake. The park, on Cantrell Road west of Interstate 430, was dedicated July 1, 2011.
Besides Boy Scouts, Smith was active in the Rotary Club of west Little Rock, which shouldn't be surprising, given the Rotarian motto, "Service above self."
At the Rotary Club, Smith "helped lead projects and design programs," Speed said. "He was a hard worker. He would work all day at his dental office, go home and work on a project until midnight and then do it all over again the next day. He loved other people and was a good leader."
Metro on 04/01/2016