The crown would be a nice fit for Angela Darling, a greater means to spread an important message.

The Kent woman, who is running for the Mrs. Washington America Pageant title next year, didn’t have to go far to find an appropriate, heart-felt platform.

As Darling discovered, Alzheimer’s is a terrible, progressive disease that new estimates suggest kills nearly a half-million people a year, making it one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

The disease slowly and painfully took away the identity and life of Darling’s grandfather, Thorval Harold Elmendorf, 71, a World War II veteran who fought in Normandy.

“He was an awesome guy,” Darling said. “I never really got to know him, although I had a couple of good years with him.”

Today, Darling honors her grandfather by raising awareness and support for the Alzheimer’s Association, one of the world’s leading voluntary health organizations in Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

It is a mission Darling intends to continue as she prepares to compete for the pageant crown next spring.

Darling, 33, as Mrs. Kent, competed but didn’t place in pursuit of the tiara against 27 other women in this year’s program at Bellevue. She came away from her first pageant with a better understanding of what it will take come next May in Olympia.

“The women are wonderful,” Darling said. “We all want to win, but we all are supportive of each other. I just fell in love with all of the women.”

The pageant, open to married women of all ages, is designed to empower and mentor women to “Make a Difference.” The pageant, a preliminary to the Mrs. America and Mrs. World competitions, provides the winner with a year filled with workshops, community service, appearances, parades and other opportunities.

For Darling, a good showing would go far in her efforts to educate and help others.

“The message is definitely more important, but obviously the message would be heard a lot better if did place or if I did win,” she said.

Darling, who grew up in Port Orchard, has made Kent her home, along with her husband and stepdaughter. She is a recruiting coordinator for Amazon.com, Inc., with a degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She is studying to become a stenographer at Green River Community College.

She is also a published author, having written eight books, including a three-book series and a pair of compilation works.

As someone who enjoys history and a good mystery, Darling has been writing since she was 10.

“I remember writing poetry in science class and getting into trouble. I’ve always been the creative type,” she said.

Darling wrote her first novel, “War,” when she was just 18. The story revolved around a young girl coming of age during the advent of the Civil War.

Having received her share of reject notices from publishers, Darling turned to the self-publishing circles and found success through CreateSpace, which gives aspiring authors access to printing, ebook distribution and marketing strategies.

She plans to launch her own self-publishing consulting service to help indie writers.

Her books, as she describes, are “dark, twisted, mysterious, romantic … that leave you with open endings.” Her books reflect her taste for horror and suspense, evolving into historical Gothic family sagas.

Darling’s books have attracted good reviews and a widespread audience.

To learn more about Darling and her works, visit www.angela-darling.com.