Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek's wife describes moment she learned of his cancer
In a Stand Up To Cancer video, Alex Trebek’s wife and daughter honor the legendary host as Nov. 8 marks three years since his death.
Legendary "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is being honored by his loved ones on the third anniversary of his death.
On Nov. 8, 2020, Trebek lost his battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 80.
Trebek’s wife, Jean, and daughter Emily paid tribute to the beloved host and dear family member in a video collaboration with the organization Stand Up To Cancer.
‘JEOPARDY!’ HOST ALEX TREBEK REVEALS WHAT HE WANTS HIS LEGACY TO BE
Nov. 8, 2023 marks three years since Alex Trebek’s death. In a Stand Up To Cancer video, his wife talks about how the TV icon stayed positive with his cancer battle. (Getty Images)
"If he wasn't at work, he would be home in a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, a baseball hat. He was a very normal, very normal guy," Emily remembered of her father.
Alex Trebek's daughter Jean remembers her father being casual around the house. (Stand Up To Cancer)
"He loved fixing things around the house. He was very passionate just about being engaged in the everyday workings of life," Jean added, as a slideshow of candid photos of Trebek played in the background.
Alex Trebek's daughter Jean said her father loved fixing things around the house when he wasn't hosting "Jeopardy!" (Stand Up To Cancer)
Trebek hosted the beloved game show for 37 seasons prior to his death. He made his American television debut in 1973 and began hosting "Jeopardy!" in 1984.
A year and eight months before his death, Trebek revealed his diagnosis in a life update he shared with "Jeopardy!" viewers.
"I wanted to be the one to pass along this information," he told his audience at the time. "Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now, normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this. And I'm going to keep working, and with the love and support of my family and friends, and with the help of your prayers, also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease."
Trebek’s widow Jean continued to share her heartfelt thoughts about the late "Jeopardy!" host.
While she was married to Trebek for 30 years, Jean recalled the day they received the devastating news of his diagnosis.
ALEX TREBEK'S DAUGHTER HONORS THE LATE 'JEOPARDY!' HOST THREE MONTHS AFTER HIS DEATH
"When Alex was diagnosed, we were together in the office of the oncologist, and we had never thought in a million years it was stage 4 pancreatic cancer," Jean said.
"People were shocked, and right away they were sending so many notes, so many emails, so many sweet gifts.
Legendary "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is being honored by his loved ones on the third anniversary of his death. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
"I remember asking him in the car, driving … to and from the chemo appointments. And I said to him, ‘Would you do anything differently?’ And he said, ‘Jean … I'm 80 years old. I've lived the most amazing life.’ And I thought, ‘Wow, that's really beautiful, and I strive to live like that."
WATCH: JEOPARDY!’ HOST ALEX TREBEK'S WIFE DESCRIBES MOMENT SHE LEARNED OF HIS CANCER
In the Stand Up To Cancer tribute video, "Jeopardy!" producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss reflected on how Trebek would refuse to skip a taping even when he was in great pain from his diagnosis.
"Producers would offer, ‘We can delay taping. We could cancel taping,’" Foss said.
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"Alex wouldn't dream of it. Alex would go back in the dressing room in a state that no one would think someone could come out and host ‘Jeopardy!’ Sure enough, Alex would come out as if nothing had happened. You wouldn't even know the pain and suffering that he was going through."
Trebek hosted the beloved game show for 37 seasons prior to his death. (Jeopardy! via AP)
Since Trebek's death, former "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings and "The Big Bang Theory" actress Mayim Bialik have co-hosted the show.
Three years later, Jean and Emily Trebek are teaming up with the organization Stand Up To Cancer to honor the television icon.
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Legendary host Trebek died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. (Albert L. Ortega/WireImage)
To kick off Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Stand Up To Cancer and Jean Trebek announced the launch of The Alex Trebek Fund to accelerate critical research with the goal of better treating the disease.
More than $1 million in contributions have already been raised through a generous donation from Jean and Stand Up To Cancer, and they plan to continue to raise money throughout the month of November and beyond in support of patients and families impacted by this deadly disease.
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"Alex knew that knowledge equaled power, and he was a man that really loved to know things and always stayed very curious," Jean said. "I thought it would be a great idea to set up this fund at Stand Up To Cancer that would promote healing through supporting the scientists that do all this amazing research.
"And since he was all about the right answer, I think it's very fitting that this fund is now established in his name, and hopefully it will benefit thousands and thousands of people."
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