Conrad Bain and Dear Abby

Very sad news yesterday...

Conrad Bain, the easygoing TV star who played the Park Avenue father on the 1978-85 sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, died in his hometown of Livermore, Calif., on Monday. He was 89. 

He also played the argumentative neighbor on the 1972-78 hit show Maude.

I used to watch that show all the time growing up. It's sad that only Todd Bridges is still alive out of this cast. Dana Plato and Gary "What you talkin' bout, Willis?" Coleman past away several years ago.

He will be missed.

 

Also, more sad news today...

Pauline Friedman Phillips, who under the name of Abigail Van Buren, wrote the long-running "Dear Abby" advice column that was followed by millions of newspaper readers throughout the world, has died. She was 94. 

Phillips' column competed for decades with the advice column of Ann Landers, written by her twin sister, Esther Friedman Lederer. Their relationship was stormy in their early adult years, but later they regained the close relationship they had growing up in Sioux City, Iowa. 

Those two gals gave a lot of people great advice.