Ken Jennings Says Alex Trebek Meant 'Everything' to theJeopardy!Family in Heartfelt Tribute 4 Years After His Death

Mar. 15, 2025

Alex Trebek.Photo:Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Four yearsafter his death,Alex Trebekis as loved as ever.

Jeopardy!honored Trebek witha sweet video posted to their Instagramon Nov. 8, exactly four years after he died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80.

In the clip, current host and 74-gameJeopardy!winnerKen Jenningsrecounted a special interaction between him and Trebek shortly after the longtime hostrevealed his diagnosis in 2019.

“Today, on the anniversary of his passing, I’ve been thinking a lot about the last time I ever came here to watch him host,” Jennings began. “It was shortly before the pandemic, and he had announced his cancer diagnosis, and he actually asked if I would come backstage. And I was a little bit apprehensive about this. I’d never been to his dressing room, as a contestant."

“You would not believe just the tens of thousands of letters and notes and afghans [blankets] and emails and everything that poured in,” he went on. “And he went through and read everything, and he said, ‘Ken, most people don’t get to hear the nice things about themselves, because people don’t say it until after they’re gone. They say those things at the funeral.’ He said, ‘I got to hear all those things while I’m still here,’ and it was just sweet how genuinely thoughtful and grateful he was for that opportunity.”

“He didn’t realize what he meant to us, which was which was everything,” he added.

“Crazy to think it’s already been 4 years,” one user wrote. “Alex, we love you, and we miss you. Hope heaven’s treating you well.”

Another commented: “He felt like an honorary grandfather in many ways. No matter what was happening in my life as I was growing up, Alex and the show were a constant source of comfort to a nerdy girl trying to figure out her place in the world. A true class act. We miss you, Alex. ❤️”

“Thank you, Alex…,” someone else wrote simply.

Alex Trebek.Getty

Getty

Trebek died on Nov. 8, 2020 after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in March 2019. Just months prior to his diagnosis, in January 2019, Trebekopened up to PEOPLEabout a possible future retirement, which he didn’t see for himself anytime soon.

“They’ve been wondering [if I’m going to retire] for years,” he said at the time. “Somebody asked me once, ‘Have you given any thought to retiring?’ This was about seven, eight years ago. And I said, ‘Yes I have.’ Well, all of a sudden, Trebek is retiring. No. He has thought about retirement!”

He continued, “You get to a certain age, and if you’ve been doing the same show for 30 years, or the same job, whatever it is, for 30 years, wouldn’t you think about retirement? What am I gonna do? I’m enjoying myself and I’m having a good time with what I’m doing now, but if I were to retire, what would I do? I’d be lost.”

Trebek continued to work onJeopardy!through his cancer battle up until he died, with his final episode airing posthumously in January 2021.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jeopardy!airs weekdays (check local listings).

source: people.com