Pauline Phillips, creator of the Dear Abby advice column, has Alzheimer’s disease, family members revealed Tuesday.
Phillips began writing the column after her twin sister, Eppie Lederer, started a similar one for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1955. Lederer, who wrote as Ann Landers, died in June.
Phillips’ daughter, Jeanne Phillips, now writes the Dear Abby column.
In a statement released Tuesday by the column’s distributor, Universal Press Syndicate, the family said the deterioration of Pauline Phillips’ memory has been slow.
Kathie Kerr, a spokeswoman for Kansas City-based syndicate, said she didn’t know when Alzheimer’s was diagnosed.
“I do know that she’s in good spirits and physically is in good shape,” Kerr said, adding that a statement was released after media inquiries about Phillips’ health.
Phillips, 84, has not been involved in the day-to-day business of the column for a couple of years, Kerr said.
Phillips said in 2000 that she had shared writing duties with her daughter since 1987. Last month, Jeanne Phillips began taking sole credit for the column.
