Not only did the television world lose a legend this past weekend when Alex Trebek passed away after a lengthy fight with pancreatic cancer, but for many of us, we lost someone who was in our homes so often it felt like he was a family member in his own right.
It only seems fair, then, that our last episode with Alex Trebek allows him to join our families one last time for Christmas.
Alex hosted the show for 37 years, and never once, even during his fight with cancer, did he ever seem like he wasn't in total control of things.
Alex was a calm, measured, and warm presence in all of our lives every night when we turned on the TV.
While Alex was not shy about his diagnosis or his fight with cancer, we had all held onto hope that he would pull through and continue to join us in our homes through our televisions for many more years to come. It's impossible to imagine Jeopardy! without Alex's warm smile and gentle humor guiding us through it all.
"Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex," the official Jeopardy Instagram page reported, with similar messages being shared across platforms.
A longer obituary was shared on the show's website.
“This is an enormous loss for the Jeopardy! staff, crew and all of Alex’s millions of fans. He was a legend of the industry that we were all lucky to watch night after night for 37 years. Working beside him for the past year and a half as he heroically continued to host Jeopardy! was an incredible honor," the show's executive produce Mike Richards was quoted as saying.
"Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family—which, in a way, included millions of us," Ken shared in a follow-up tweet.
Jeopardy! being an every night staple in so many households really did make Alex feel like he was a part of all of our families.
I think that this is really a fitting day for his last episode to air — on a day when we're together with our families, spending time with each other and remembering those who aren't with us, it seems perfect that we can invite Alex to join in with our families one last time.
We're glad to hear this — while we're sure that one day, Jeopardy! will continue on with a new host to fill the giant shoes left behind by Alex, the show will honor his legacy by letting the remainder of Alex's time on the show be his and his alone.
Our thoughts, prayers, and energy is with Alex's wife and children, his extended family, all his friends, and with everyone who loved him and accepted him into their homes as one of his own during this incredibly difficult time.
Rest in peace, Alex.
