Dear Abby

Dear Abby,

I have a problem. Pauline Phillips who founded your column in 1956 has died. She was 94. She picked up a pen and began a job that spanned a lifetime. “It never occurred to me that I’d have any kind of career,” Mrs. Phillips told The Los Angeles Times in 1986. “But after I was married, I thought, ‘There has to be something more to life than mah-jongg.’ ”

Her sass, and her determination to help people see the good in situations and themselves, was inspiring. What’s the best way to honor her? Yes, I think a few of her best comments are the most fitting. Thanks for the words, Pauline.

KAC in Virginia.

If you’d like to read a full story about her, the New York Times did a great job. Let me know if any of you ever wrote her…

Dear Abby Quotes:

“You could move.” Her response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood.

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”

“The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back.”

And a letter…

Dear Abby: I have always wanted to have my family history traced, but I can’t afford to spend a lot of money to do it. Have you any suggestions? — M.J.B. in Oakland, Calif.

Dear M.J.B.: Yes. Run for a public office.