Forever in our hearts.
Alex Trebek’s widow, Jean Currivan Trebek, opened up about how she didn’t really understand how much her husband was loved until he began his cancer battle.
The iconic “Jeopardy!” host passed away in November 2020 after a public struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80. He first announced his diagnosis in March 2019.
“Alex was my dear husband and my most beloved friend. Like most long-term relationships, we had our ups and downs, but the truth of it was that we were very close and experienced a lot of life together,” Jean, 57, told the Eden Magazine.
She continued, “It was important to Alex to keep his personal life separate from his professional life, unless it was ‘needed.’ [For example,] attending an award show or something like that. For the most part, Alex and I enjoyed staying at home. When we did go out, it was perhaps for a quick dinner or movie every now and then, so it wasn’t like we were always out in public for me to really notice his popularity.”
Jean explained how she wasn’t fully aware of how much of a pop-culture icon Trebek was and the legacy he was leaving. “We received cartons of mail every day filled with get-well cards, etc., at our home address, and I knew that the studio was receiving so much more. It was astonishing,” she said.
“In looking back, the fact that I did not identify Alex as an ‘icon’ was a gift. We were equal partners in a marriage, and we had our own personal growth issues to deal with just like any ordinary couple,” she said. “It would have been really weird for both Alex and myself if I thought of him as some celebrity. He could just be himself at home, and that was it.”
She then went on to quote Queen Elizabeth’s powerful words about “grief” being “the price you pay for having loved.”
“It’s true,” Jean said. “There are moments of my day that I miss Alex so much, and I just have to allow myself those times. Sometimes I feel as if he’s been on a long vacation, and then there are other times that the reality of the absence of his presence is really palatable. I find that being with my family and friends or doing something creative and new is really helpful.”