Mathematics instructor and chemist Charles Egedy died of a heart attack Friday afternoon while walking the University lakes, according to mathematics chair Robert Perlis.
Egedy taught Calculus II and bridge mathematics courses this semester. He was 62 years old, a husband to Karen Summerell, had two children and one grandchild.
Egedy was a poet, chess player and valued instructor to many at the University. President of the Louisiana State Poetry Society and director of the Baton Rouge Chess Club, he enjoyed hobbies outside the world of math and science and was willing to share experience and advice on various subjects, according to those who worked with him.
Perlis said he recalls passing Egedy’s door decorated with his poetry and catching a glimpse of him playing chess with a student.
Perlis asked students in Egedy’s class to write about their experiences with him.
One student wrote that he “was a very strong-willed and funny man — I cannot recall a day of class that he did not smile, crack a joke or hide the fact that he loved what he did. His passion showed through his work, and he was an inspiration to math students on campus.”
Egedy started his career as a research chemist at Grant Chemical Division of Ferro Corporation and began teaching remedial math at the University part-time in 1999. In 2009, he earned a doctorate in mathematics before becoming a full-time instructor.
Perlis said Egedy’s chemistry background helped him excel as a teacher and bring life to subjects by helping students understand the real world applications beyond plugging numbers into formulas.
“He knew from chemistry that you need to actually know stuff, not just be able to do stuff,” Perlis said. “Most of the faculty hold the students to higher standards, but he could tell them why because he had practical experience.”
Another student wrote that Egedy challenged them more than any previous professor. “Unlike other challenges that I faced in other classes, I knew that the challenges were meant to strengthen my knowledge and love for mathematics,” the student wrote. “There was never a dull moment in the short time that I had [class] with Dr. Egedy in his discrete mathematics class. His office hours were always full of insight. Dr. Egedy will be truly missed.“
As a colleague, Perlis said Egedy always had a wealth of stories to share and was always eager for a discussion.
“He had strong opinions, but enjoyed being challenged — assuming you could back up your opinions,” Perlis said.
Math senior Steven Li said he enjoyed how Egedy followed the syllabus and how he was strict about the structure of his course.
“He was very enthusiastic for math and learning,” Li said.
Li said he once accidentally stumbled upon Egedy’s Facebook profile and it displayed the professor’s passion for poetry. When inspecting his office, Perlis said he found three original poetry books.
A memorial service for Egedy will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 2 in Basement Room 2 of Lockett Hall.
