Retired Chico State professor from the geography and planning department died at 93 Feb. 27.

Emeritus Louis James Mihalyi worked as a professor for 22 years. He was born to a Hungarian family in in the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia.

Mihalyi was labeled a “troublemaker” while working in Canada after the war, due to his passion for immigrant rights, according to a public affairs email.

“At Chico State, he continued field studies in Sub-Saharan Africa and pursued curriculum development in forestry, field studies, and the introduction of modern geospatial technologies,” according to a public affairs email.

After retiring, he and his wife, Joanne, moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia.

Mihalyi is survived by his wife and two stepsons Wes and Keith.

No services are planned.

The University flag will sit at half mast March 17 in his honor.

Kayla Fitzgerald can be reached at [email protected] or @kaylafitz_20 on Twitter.