Calcutta: Father Albert Huart, a Belgian priest who was vice-principal of St Xavier's College for more than 25 years, passed away in Belgium on Wednesday. He was 93.

Fr Huart, a priest of the Society of Jesus, had also been rector of St Xavier's School and College.

He was known as a disciplinarian and a loving and caring teacher.

"Father Huart died during the night. In the evening, he had a fatal fall in his room of the La Colombière residence (an infirmary for old Jesuit priests in Brussels, Belgium) and was immediately taken to hospital, where he died a few hours later," Fr Jerome Francis, a former headmaster of St Xavier's Collegiate School, told Metro quoting Father Etienne from Belgium.

Fr Huart had spent 75 years in the Society of Jesus, also called the Jesuits. He had started teaching political science at St Xavier's College in 1960 and became vice-principal of the arts and science section in 1966, a position he held till 1991. Between 1982 and 1989, he was rector of St Xavier's.

He was also rector of Dhyan Ashram (formation house and retreat house), Calcutta, and Socius (assistant) to the provincial for about 12 years.

Fr Francis had studied mathematics honours at St Xavier's College between 1972 and 1975, when Fr Huart was vice-principal. He went on to become provincial or head of the Calcutta unit of the Jesuits when Fr Huart was the Socius.

"See, my student has become my boss, Fr Huart used to remind me with a smile," Fr Francis said.