Jean Trebek has shared a touching memory from Alex Trebek's final days.
The Jeopardy! host passed away at age 80 last November, and his widow Jean is now opening up about the loss in an interview with Today. The talk premiered on May 1, in which Jean named "one of the beautiful things" that happened before her husband's death.
Jean Trebek: Alex got to "witness all the love" before he died
In the clip, Today host Savannah Guthrie asked Trebek if she was surprised to learn just how much her husband meant to so many people. "Yes, I was, and I think Alex was too," Jean answered.
She continued, "I think one of the beautiful things, the blessings that came, if you can call it a blessing, was that he got to really see the outpouring of love and admiration that he gave to the world.
"And some people just, you know, you don't see that while you're still embodied, you don't get to really witness all the love that people feel for you," she added. "And I know that that was, in and of itself, a huge inspiration for Alex."
Jean, 56, spoke to Today for the Inspiring America broadcast that aired on NBC on May 1. She was Alex Trebek's second wife and they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary just a few months before he passed on in November 2020.
The Jeopardy! host had chronicled his treatment for pancreatic cancer, giving fans occasional health updates before he died after a two-year battle with the disease. He continued to film Jeopardy! around his treatment, and Trebek's final episode of the show aired in December.
Jeopardy! is currently airing with guest hosts, who have included NFLer Aaron Rodgers and Katie Couric.