Raquel U. DeCarlo | Former teacher, 95

Raquel Umpierre DeCarlo, 95, a former high school teacher in Puerto Rico, died of skin cancer Tuesday at her home in the Norris Square neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Mrs. DeCarlo was the mother of Patricia DeCarlo, who for more than two decades has been executive director of the Norris Square Civic Association.

Mrs. DeCarlo's eldest daughter, Sara, said yesterday that her mother grew up in the Puerto Rican city of Rio Piedras, and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor's degree in home economics and a master's degree in social work.

She taught high school home economics in Isabela, in the northwest corner of the island, before marrying and ending her career, her daughter said.

After Mrs. DeCarlo's husband, Caesar, died in 1984, her daughters brought her to Philadelphia.

"My mother was always very proud of her three daughters, because we accomplished a lot," Sara said. All are college graduates: Patricia is a lawyer, Jeannie is an artist, and Sara retired in June after 38 years as a public school counselor.

Besides her daughters, Mrs. DeCarlo is survived by five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Lehigh Avenue and B Street, Kensington.

Contributions for women who cannot pay for cancer treatments may be made to Drexel Radiation Oncology, Hahnemann University Hospital, 216 N. Broad St., Philadelphia 19102.