Pauline Phillips, original 'Dear Abby' columnist, dies at 94

Pauline Friedman Phillips, the longtime "Dear Abby" advice columnist, died Wednesday at age 94. Phillips started writing the "Dear Abby" columns in 1956, under the pen name Abigail Van Buren, and dispensed advice to thousands of readers over the years on all sorts of topics. Beginning in 1987, Phillips' daughter, Jeanne Phillips, co-wrote the columns with her mother; by the time Pauline Phillips was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2002, Jeanne had taken over writing the "Dear Abby" columns, which she still does. Phillips was the sister of Esther Friedman Lederer, who wrote the competing Ann Landers advice column; Lederer died in 2002. [Source]

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