Sister Ann Veronica Unkelbach, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis and former head of the business education department at Baltimore's Catholic High School, died of cancer Thursday at her order's retirement home, Assisi House, in Aston, Pa. She was 75.

Born and raised Katherine Mary Unkelbach in Baltimore, she was a graduate of Catholic High School. She entered the order in 1946 and professed her vows two years later.

She earned a bachelor's degree in education from Marywood College in Scranton, Pa., and a master's degree in education from the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y.

Sister Ann Veronica began her career teaching elementary pupils at Resurrection School in Chester, Pa. She later taught business education courses at Hallahan High School and Little Flower High School, both in Philadelphia, before joining the faculty of Catholic High here in 1978.

In addition to heading the business education department at the girls parochial school on Edison Highway, she taught accounting, business English, math and typing.

"The school's business department was well known throughout the city for supplying secretaries, and she was the one who made that department go," said Robert W. Fletcher, the school's director of technology since 1984.

"When the students came back to school to visit, they always said that Sister Ann had given them the tools to succeed in the work environment, and they were very grateful for it," Mr. Fletcher said.

"The faculty respected her, and the children loved her," said Martha I. Marafioti, retired head of the school's foreign language department. "She always had a smile for everyone."

"She was an excellent teacher. Her main goal was that when her students finished at Catholic High they were ready for a good job," said Mildred W. Kadel, a retired business education teacher.

Sister Ann Veronica relinquished her duties in the late 1980s after finding she had cancer, and set about assisting Mr. Fletcher in school scheduling and report cards.

"She was the person I always depended on. She would check and double-check schedules. Even though she didn't like computers, she'd take printouts and thoroughly check them," he said.

"They always say the devil is in the details, and she could always find the devil in those details," Mr. Fletcher said.

She retired from the school in 1999 and moved last year to Assisi House, where a Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

She is survived by a brother, Michael Gossman of Annapolis, and a sister, Shirley Holden of Baltimore.