Leanza Cornett (former Miss America) dies from kitchen accident

I realize that many people have a negative opinion of the pageant world in general, but if there was ever a Miss America that had the right idea and tried to make a difference during her year, this was the gal. She won the 1993 title with a then controversial platform that involved talking frankly with teenagers about the dangers of AIDS and the wisdom of using condoms. Her message [[which essentially was "meet them where they ARE, not where we would like them to be") did not set well with some of the more conservative educators out there but she stood her ground. She continued her AIDs activism well after she gave up the title and was also a commentator on Entertainment Tonight.

Earlier this month, she suffered a fall in her kitchen and sustained a serious head injury. She was in a coma for about 16 days before passing away. She was only 49 and leaves behind ex-husband Mark Steines [[also an ET personality) and two teenage sons.

This is sad to hear. I don't pay much attention to the pageant world and I have neither a good nor bad opinion of the participants [[although it's a very exploitative exercise in many of its iterations). It's always good to read about someone who makes the most of their window of influence and it's always sad to find out when they die too soon. I pray for her family to find its peace in the joy of her life rather than prolonged sorrow from the grief of her passing.