Alan Suttie, chief executive of Fife Society of the Blind, has died aged 62.
Mr Suttie dedicated his adult life to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people and spent 28 years providing services in Fife.
He also helped blind people in India, worked with the European Blind Union and set up projects in Tanzania.
He was a trustee of the RNIB and chaired a working group for the elderly for the World Blind Union.
Richard Godfrey-McKay, chairman of Fife Society for the Blind, paid tribute to Mr Suttie.
“I am totally blind and first met Alan in 1998 when I was a trustee of RNIB and chair of RNIB Wales,” he said.
“During the past 28 years, his total dedication to his work has resulted in the services available to blind and partially sighted people living in Fife being a standard rarely seen anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
“Most recently, he oversaw the opening of the Nairn Optical Centre at the society’s premises in Wilson Avenue, Kirkcaldy, and entered into an agreement with Multilens a Swedish company to distribute high-quality glasses to those with poor sight.
“He quickly realised that these glasses could take the place of the traditional hand-held magnifiers, leaving both the wearer’s hands free for using modern phones and so on.
“His expertise was such that, when working for the society’s social enterprise company, FSB Enterprises, he was a much sought-after expert witness and has been involved in many legal cases throughout the UK.”
Gordon Brown MP, honorary president of the Fife Society of the Blind, praised the life and achievements of Mr Suttie.
He said: “Alan has championed the needs of elderly blind locally, nationally and globally and deserves much praise after 27 years of dedicated service to the people of Fife.
“Working with his wife, who is blind herself, he has been a pioneer and path breaker in new services and meeting traditional needs in new ways.”
“My thoughts are with his widow, who shared his enthusiasm for his charitable work, and with his family.”
A service of thanksgiving will be held at St Bryce Kirk, Kirkcaldy, on Tuesday at 2.15pm.