Pauline Phillips, better known as the advice columnist "Dear Abby," has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease according to her family.
She died Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age 94.
Phillips wrote under the pen name of Abigail Van Buren, shortened to "Dear Abby" in newspapers.
According to CNN, 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 the column over full time in August 2002, when the family announced that Pauline Phillips had Alzheimer's.
Jeanne Phillips said in a statement, "I have lost my mother, my mentor and my best friend. My mother leaves very big high heels to fill with a legacy of compassion, commitment and positive social change. I will honor her memory every day by continuing this legacy."
"Dear Abby" is the most syndicated column, having appeared in 1,400 newspapers with a daily readership of more than 110 million, according to syndication service Universal Uclick.
The National Institute on Aging says, Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease.
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