Alex Trebek’s Wife Jean Is Honoring Her Late Husband in the Sweetest Way
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Jean Trebek shared how she’s honoring her late husband, Alex Trebek.
The Jeopardy! host died of pancreatic cancer in 2020.
Donate to the Alex Trebek Fund here.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, an ideal time for Jean Trebek to honor her late husband and Jeopardy! host, Alex Trebek, who died of the disease.
In partnership with Katie Couric’s Stand Up to Cancer, Jean founded The Alex Trebek Fund, which supports the research, detection, and treatment of pancreatic cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 64,000 people will be diagnosed with the condition this year.
According to a statement, Jean kickstarted the fund with a donation of $1 million in partnership with the Estate of Barbara Hanania. “Alex knew that knowledge equaled power. He was a man that really loved to know things and stayed very curious,” Jean said in the statement. “Since Alex was all about the right answer, I think it’s very fitting that this fund is now established in his name. It’s a way for the community that loved him to put resources directly into the hands of scientists working tirelessly to fight a disease shrouded by many unknowns.”
Jean appeared on TODAY to discuss the new project further. “This was something that Alex actually would champion. He loved a good challenge,” she added. Not only will it, hopefully, help thousands of people, but The Alex Trebek Fund has already peeled back layers of grief for the widow herself. “I think doing something creative or proactive really helps the healing journey,” she said.
In March 2019, Alex announced to the world from the Jeopardy! stage that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He continued to host the show up until his final days and died on November 8, 2020.
After revealing his diagnosis, Alex shared a public service announcement about the hard-to-detect symptoms of the disease, a trait that often allows it to go undiagnosed until it’s too late. “I wish I had known earlier that the persistent stomach pain I experienced prior to my diagnosis was a symptom of pancreatic cancer,” he said at the time. Jean later shared the first symptom she noticed, which was his changed, jaundiced complexion. Early signs of pancreatic cancer are often asymptomatic, per the National Cancer Institute (NCI), but general, more obvious signs of the disease include:
Jaundice
Light-colored stools or dark urine
Pain in the upper or middle abdomen and back
Weight loss for no known reason
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
According to the NCI, the overall survival rate for pancreatic cancer is less than 6%, but that statistic is improving, per the fund’s statement. Jean and Couric hope to push that ascent forward. “For all the fans who loved and respected Alex—and there are legions of them,” Couric said in the statement. “This fund allows them to honor him and support lifesaving science.”
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