November 8, 2020 dealt a major blow to millions as Alex Trebek, the host of trivia-based game show “Jeopardy!” died at age 80 from pancreatic cancer. Trebek served as the host of the popular series for thirty-six years, and despite the advanced stage of his diagnosis in 2019, he still hosted episodes of “Jeopardy,” where he was beloved by audiences and viewers around the world.

Trebek helped to instill a passion in trivia to the millions of viewers the series had touched in the time of his hosting.

Pre-recorded episodes with him will still continue to be released, while a new host for the series is sought. He will not be easy to replace; so profound was his death, the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada (where Alex was born) even released a statement expressing his sorrows of his loss.

“It was sad to hear about his grim prognosis. Watching “Jeopardy” helped foster my interest in random facts and my desire to learn as much about a topic as I could,” said recent Stockton graduate, Mike Heine. “I always liked ‘playing along’ to see how well I would do in a “Jeopardy” match, and surprised myself with how much (or how little) I knew. Losing Trebek on “Jeopardy” will be a big void to fill, but I’m confident that another worthy host will be found.”

“It was really upsetting to hear that Alex Trebek passed away, he brought many families together every night for years to learn and enjoy friendly competition, said Communication Studies major, Julia-Anne Wolfgang.

Alex Trebek was a remarkable man who lived a remarkable life, and while he will be dearly missed, his legacy will continue!