TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA
Megastar Sharon Cuneta goes through another challenging phase in her life as she and her family grieves for the loss of her mother, Elaine Gamboa-Cuneta, who died Wednesday afternoon at the age of 79.
A couple of months before her mother’s passing, Cuneta had posted a touching and humorous piece about her mom on her Facebook account, but has neither said anything on the social networking site nor Twitter as of press time.
Cuneta’s daughter KC Concepcion, however, has taken to Instagram to mourn the loss of her grandmother, whom she calls “Mita,” with the following post:
“My first six hours without you is so tough. I miss you so much Mita. I can’t believe I won’t be able to make you ‘gigil’ anymore. I miss your skin, your stories, your scent, your expressions, your voice, your quotable quotes, holding your beautiful hands until we fall asleep. Thank you for everything. Grandmothers are a GIFT please let them feel special and treasure them while you have them.”
Elaine Gamboa-Cuneta was the wife of the late Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta, whom she married in 1993. The couple had two children Chet and Sharon.
An actress herself, Elaine starred in several films during the 1950s. She was also a beauty queen and singer.
Her younger sister is actress Helen Gamboa-Sotto, wife actor-politician Sen. Tito Sotto.
Part American, Elaine’s mother was Eusebia Albent who married Filipino Domingo Gamboa.
The Cuneta Matriarch is survived by Chet and Sharon and their respective partners, Michelle and Secretary Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan; and her grandchildren—Paul, Chuck, CP, Christopher, Daniel, Czarina, Lucas, and KC, Frankie, Miel, and Miguel.
Meanwhile, the Cuneta family’s official statement read: “The family of Mrs. Elaine Gamboa Cuneta wishes to confirm the news that at 2:05 p.m. today, November 5, 2014, she passed away due to internal bleeding and complications arising from abdominal surgery. Mrs. Cuneta was first confined for abdominal pains on September 2 and was in intensive care for over seven weeks.”
In another one of Sharon’s Facebook posts months ago, she revealed that when she was 11 years old, her mother had survived breast cancer following a mastectomy and chemotherapy in the United States.
Elaine lived a full and healthy life since until her more senior years.
The family’s statement further read,”The wake will be held at the Capilla Del Señor and Capilla Dela Virgen of Santuario de San Antonio Parish, McKinley Road, Makati City from November 6 to 11, 2014. Details of the interment will follow.”
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