Toro-Alfonso, José Rafael

Dr. José R. Toro-Alfonso, whom many people knew as Joe, was an exceptional psychologist, a committed citizen, and a sensitive human being dedicated to the well-being of other people.

Joe lived in his birth place, Yauco, during his youth with his mother Cruz Alfonso Ramírez, a second grade teacher and his father Jorge Toro, a merchant. He had one brother, Georgie. Joe remained in Yauco during his elementary and high-school years.

His education was interdisciplinary, which allowed him to generate multiple and accurate perspectives of the problems and populations of his concern. He earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. In 1976, he completed a Master of Education at Ponce Catholic University; in 1988, a Master in Psychology, Family, and Sexual Therapy at the Caribbean Center for Advanced Studies where he also finished a PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1990.

His professional experiences were multiple and varied. He worked as a biology teacher in high...