By Barbara Coombs Lee
January 17, 2013
Advice columnist Dear Abby (Pauline Phillips), who passed away today, was a friend of our movement since its earliest days. Compassion & Choices offers our condolences to her family and especially to her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, the current author of the popular column. Jeanne was the keynote speaker at our 2012 conference. She mesmerized the audience of 300 when she frankly acknowledged her emotional journey as she watched her mother become increasingly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Jeanne’s advice on end-of-life planning was in the direct, common-sense style she inherited from her mother: “Plan ahead. Talk to everyone. Let them know what your wishes are, and hope that they’ll respect them.”
“I have lost my mother, my mentor and my best friend,” Jeanne said in a statement. “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.”