Emelita (Rita) Thorne battled with cancer (a rare bile duct cancer called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) since 2018. She was a cancer warrior and inspiration to her many followers as she bravely shared her journey through Chemo.
Rita is well noted in the Boston community for her contributions to charity and volunteerism. With 20 years as a beauty consultant At As You Like it in Acton and with Sephora in Natick, she donated her skills for several years to glam-up graduating nursing students at Bay Path Practical Nursing Academy for nurse nostalgia portraits gratis. As a performer, Rita performed the Yakan Cultural Dance at multiple events before audiences in many states. She advocated for literacy, regularly contributing and participating in Bagong Kulturang Pinoy, Inc. (www.BKP.org) to promote the love of reading. As one of the founders of Thank God I’m Filipino (TGIF) in Boston, Rita helped promote world class Filipino talents and raise funds for survivors of natural disasters. She participated in several medical missions to the Philippines with the Friends Indeed Inc. from New York.
Rita held many pageant titles nationally, Mrs. Friends Indeed USA 2015, and internationally, Mrs. Philippines International also in 2015, in Jacksonville, Fla. She became Mrs. ServeCare Queen International in 2017, Mrs. June Calendar in 2018, and Mrs. Pearl World in 2021.
Rita was born is Isabella, Basilan, Philippines the daughter of Josefina Pisaras and Sinfronio Eway. Rita toured Asia as a cultural dancer in her 20's. She met her husband in Japan. Rita is survived by her husband David and sons Masaki and Zachariah of Acton, and her sisters Jessica and Dolly of Davao, Philippines. As an alternative to flowers donations can be made to https://cholangiocarcinoma.org/thorne/.
A Mass will be held at a future date. Burial will be private.