Emelita (Rita) Thorne

11/20/1962- 05/28/2022

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.

A champion of volunteerism and philanthropy herself, Rita, her husband David and sons Masaki and Zachariah would like to find an end to this insidious disease, Cholangiocarcinoma.  Please join us in honoring Rita's memory by donating to Cholangiocarcinoma research.

Rita is well noted in the Boston community for her contributions to charity and volunteerism.  With 20 year as a beauty consultant, 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 advocates 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.

Rita held many pageant titles nationally, Mrs. Friends Indeed USA 2015, and internationally, Mrs. Philippines International also in 2015, she bested 65 other contestants in Jacksonville, Fla. She became Mrs. ServeCare Queen International in 2017, Mrs. June Calendar in 2018, and Mrs. Pearl World in 2021.

The Thorne family thanks you for honoring Rita’s memory by accelerating research for this devastating disease.

The Thorne Family