Anita (Beauparlant) Raposa

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Anita (Beauparlant) Raposa, 93, of Fall River, formerly of Somerset, Berkley and Tiverton, widow of Clement P. Raposa, died Sunday, October 19, 2008.
The first Ms Senior Sweetheart of America Pageant winner in 1978 and a former Ms Senior Sweetheart of Southern New England, she was senior advisor of the pageant for more than 300 events in the past 30 years. The founder and director of Anita and her Sweethearts on Parade, she appeared on the Phil Donahue and Joan Rivers TV shows and entertained in nursing homes, senior clubs, veterans and local hospitals and church affairs for 18 years.
The recipient of the 1994 Home Town Hero Award, she was a Special Olympics, United Way and Easter Seals volunteer. A 2 term president of Local 178 ILGWU, she was also recording secretary for the local and the New England District Council and past president of the UNITE Retirees. She was past vice president and honorary member of Somerset Village Senior Citizens and a former member of Fall River Evening Lioness Club and AMVETS Auxiliary, Somerset.
She leaves a daughter, Pauline Limp and her husband James and sisters, Suzanne Fitzgerald and Doris Gagnon, all of Fall River and nieces and nephews. She was the daughter of the late Amie Beauparlant and Marie (Canuel) Beauparlant Gagnon and the sister of the late Cecile Doige, Leona Gancarski and Homer and Romeo Beauparlant.
A funeral service will be held Wednesday at 9:00 AM in the AUCLAIR FUNERAL HOME, 690 So. Main St., Fall River. Cremation to follow.
Visitation, Tuesday 4:00 to 8:00 PM. LARGE PARKING AREA and BARRIER-FREE ENTRANCE at the rear of funeral home. Please omit flowers. Donations may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care, 502 Bedford St., Fall River MA 02720.