Phillips was an honorary member of Women in Communications, the American College of Psychiatrists, and the National Council of Jewish Women. Her columns were collected in "Dear Abby", "Dear Teenager", "Dear Abby on Marriage", "Where Were You When President Kennedy was Shot?", "The Dear Abby Wedding Planner", and "The Best of Dear Abby". She said that writing is "only work if you'd rather be doing something else." She co-wrote the column with her daughter Jeanne from 1987 until her retirement. In 2002, Phillips' Alzheimer's disease made it impossible for her to continue writing, and Jeanne assumed all the writing responsibilities of "Dear Abby".