Grace H. Henkels DeCaro, 79, a longtime resident of West Chester who was known for her interest in Chester County history, died of cardiac arrest Saturday at Barclay Friends Hall, where she had lived for the last year. She had lived in West Chester since 1967.
She and her husband, Thomas F. DeCaro Sr., a retired Lincoln University professor with whom she shared an interest in local history and collecting Chester County art and antiques, had been married for 48 years.
Mrs. DeCaro was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Frankford High School in 1944.
She became active as a volunteer at the Chester County Historical Society when she retired in 1982 after more than a decade working in the admissions office of West Chester University.
Her son Thomas F. Jr. said she helped the society with several publications, including researching and writing articles about life in Chester County in the 1700s and 1800s.
In recent years, she was chairwoman of the society's education committee and worked with it as the main editor for a walking tour of historic sites and buildings in the borough. She also wrote about her own home on Franklin Street, one of two she restored with her husband, her son said.
Mrs. DeCaro was known for her needlework and filled her house with her handiwork. She especially enjoyed collecting and restoring antique needlework, which she often found on flea-market outings with her husband.
In addition to her son and husband, she is survived by another son, James J. DeCaro; a brother; and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, 233 W. Gay St., West Chester. Burial will be at St. Agnes
The family suggests memorial contributions to the church.
