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'Dear Abby' Advice Columnist Dies at 94

January 17, 2013

Long-time American newspaper columnist Pauline Friedman Phillips, who for decades wrote the syndicated advice column "Dear Abby," has died. She was 94.

Phillips' publicist said she died Wednesday in Minnesota after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Phillips' column -- seen by millions of readers -- competed for decades with another widely circulated advice column, "Ann Landers," authored by Phillips' twin sister Esther Friedman Lederer.

"Abby" appeared in 1,000 newspapers, as far away as Brazil and Thailand. It addressed queries ranging from marriage and relationships to illness, aging, sex, dying and equal rights.

"Abby" appeared in 1,000 newspapers, as far away as Brazil and Thailand. It addressed queries ranging from marriage and relationships to illness, aging, sex, dying and equal rights.

The first Dear Abby column appeared in 1956, and Phillips continued writing the advice feature until 2000, when she and daughter Jeanne began sharing the byline.

Jeanne Phillips took over the column full time in 2002 when the family announced that Pauline Phillips had Alzheimer's.

In 2003, Phillips' family and an anonymous donor gave $10 million to the Mayo Clinic medical center to boost Alzheimer's research.

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JOHN GAPS III/AP
Advice columnist Ester Friedman Lederer, who wrote as Ann Landers, right, and her twin sister Pauline Friedman Phillips, who also wrote an advice column as Dear Abby, are shown in a file photo from June 1986, at their 50th high school reunion in Sioux City, Iowa. The Dear Abby author has died at 94 years old.

Dear Abby samples:

Dear Abby: My boyfriend is going to be 20 years old next month. I'd like to give him something nice for his birthday. What do you think he'd like? â€" Carol

Dear Carol: Never mind what he'd like, give him a tie.

Dear Abby: I've been going with this girl for a year. How can I get her to say yes? â€" Don

Dear Don: What's the question?