Jean Currivan Trebek, Alex Trebek’s widow, who is from Huntington, posted a “thank you” message to fans after the famous Canadian-American game show host died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday.
Alex hosted more than 7,000 episodes of Jeopardy! from 1984 up until last month, just two weeks before succumbing at the age of 80 to a years-long battle with the disease. Trebek passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends, the show said on Twitter.
“My family and I sincerely thank you all for your compassionate messages and generosity,” Jean wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “Your expressions have truly touched our hearts. Thank you so very, very much.”
Jeopardy! which requires contestants to display their knowledge of a broad range of trivia topics by providing their answers in the form of a question, has consistently drawn more than 20 million viewers a week in the United States and Canada, making it the most-watched quiz show in those markets.
Trebek won six Emmy Awards for outstanding game-show host, most recently in 2019, and also received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2011. The Hollywood Reporter said in a 2014 article that Trebek was earning $10 million a year.
Along with her message, Jean posted a photo of her and Alex on their wedding day in 1990. Jean was a businesswoman working in real estate projects, and the couple first met in 1988 at a party. They have two children together, Emily, 27, and Matthew, 30.
In a recent interview before his death with People magazine, Alex said his one regret was not meeting Jean sooner in life.
“If I’d just met Jean in my 20s,” he told reporters, “we could have had a longer life together.”
-With Reuters
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