Alex Trebek

By Tom Kirvan

Canadian-born Alex Trebek became the host of “Jeopardy!” on September 10, 1984, beginning a 36-year run as perhaps the most popular and beloved game show personality in the history of television.

Trebek, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998, also etched his name in the book of Guinness World Records by hosting more than 8,200 episodes of the game show, eclipsing in 2014 the previous record of 6,828 set by Bob Barker of “The Price Is Right.”

Possessing a wry sense of humor and an impressive intellect, Trebek encountered a series of health setbacks during his game show run, suffering heart attacks in 2007 and 2012, undergoing brain surgery in 2018 to remove a series of blood clots, before finally succumbing to pancreatic cancer in 2020 at the age of 80, but not before publishing his memoir “The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.”

Alex Trebek

The son of a chef who had emigrated from Ukraine, Trebek was born in Ontario, Canada. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Ottawa and was fluent in French, thanks largely to the influence of his French-Canadian mother. His love and respect for languages was evident throughout his television career, where he was known for his impeccable diction and unflappable nature.

He also could turn a phrase, as evidenced by this collection of Trebek quotes:

"Be kinder to each other. I see America in a crisis situation right now in so many ways. And I want people to open up their hearts, and open up their hands, and open up their wallets to help each other. Because if ever there was a time when we needed to do that, that time is now."
"Don't tell me what you believe in. I'll observe how you behave, and I will make my own determination."
"I don't spend any time whatsoever thinking about what might have been."
"I'm curious about everything. Even subjects that don't interest me."
"If you can't be in awe of Mother Nature, there's something wrong with you."
"It's very important in life to know when to shut up."