How Alex Trebek's Family Is Working To Ensure His Legacy
As much as we all still miss Alex Trebek — the legendary and universally beloved host of "Jeopardy!", who died at age 80 in November of 2020 (per his New York Times obituary) — we have to acknowledge that no one can miss him as much as his family surely does. But even after tragedy, life goes on, and the late host's family has chosen to honor his memory in the most powerful way.
Trebek's incredible 37 years as host of the long-running game show made him a household name. And he continued to host "Jeopardy!" even after he announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on the show in 2019. One year later, Trebek tragically died of the disease, and was replaced by Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings as co-hosts.
Now, his family is doing what they can to help others diagnosed with the same cancer in his memory, and yes, we're all crying a little bit.
Alex Trebek's family is raising money to fight pancreatic cancer
Alex Trebek's wife, Jean, and their children Emily, Nicky, and Matthew, all attended the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's (PanCAN) Purple Stride Walk & Run at the Los Angeles Zoo to help the organization raise money to help others fight the disease, according to People. Jean told the outlet, "It's a little bittersweet because this was the disease that took Alex's human life. But, I also know what it pulled from him." She went on to sing his praises, explaining, "His courage, his strength and that was what Alex, I know, wants to be remembered for."
According to the PanCAN website, more than 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. The devastating disease has also been the cause of death for other well-known and beloved figures, including Steve Jobs, Aretha Franklin, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, according to WebMD. Hopefully, the Trebek family's support, as well as the work of so many others, can help find a cure some day. We think the "Jeopardy!" host would be proud.