DOWNEY, CA-Jack Kyser, the best known and most widely quoted authority on the Southern California economy for decades, has died at the age of 76. Kyser, who was a resident of this Los Angeles County city, died at home of undetermined causes.

Kyser had retired as chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. last summer and at the time of his death was chief economic adviser to the Southern California Association of Governments. Wally Baker, a friend of Kyser and a former senior vice president at the LAEDC, tells GlobeSt.com that Kyser had participated Thursday in a SCAG event called the Road to Economic Recovery Summit in Downtown Los Angeles and had been interviewed about the event on Los Angeles radio station KNX.

SCAG president Larry McCallon and executive director Hasan Ikhrata issued a statement saying: “Today I share in the sadness of many as we learned of the passing of Jack Kyser. He was a consummate professional, remarkable scholar and a dear friend. Southern California has lost a true champion in Jack.”