Doris R. Larson, a retired home economics teacher, died of cancer Tuesday at her Lutherville home. She was 78.

Before her retirement 16 years ago, she taught home economics at city middle schools, including Booker T. Washington, Roland Park and Francis Scott Key.

Born Doris Ann Russell, she was raised in Reading, Pa. She earned an education degree in 1946 from Hood College in Frederick.

A vice president of the Woman's Club of Roland Park, she was a board member of the Presbyterian Home of Baltimore.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Towson Presbyterian Church, 400 W. Chesapeake Ave., where she was an elder and sang in the choir. She also arranged church banquets and receptions.

Survivors include Emery "Swede" Larson Jr., her husband of 53 years; a son, Emery "Chip" Larson of Sparks; two daughters, Carol Larson of Towson and Catherine Hatfalvi of Ellicott City; two sisters, Jean Folk of Osterville, Mass., and Louise Ham of Dalton, Ga.; and two grandchildren. Another son, Chris Larson, died in 1979.