As the world continues to mourn the loss of Alex Trebek, one of the producers of Jeopardy! is opening up about the legendary host's death, revealing that he got to have the last day with his wife he always wanted.
Trebek died on Sunday following a battle with pancreatic cancer, and Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards on Monday described how he spent his final days.
"He had a swing in his backyard that he loved," Richards told Today. "He actually rebuilt it earlier this year. He was very handy. I don't know if a lot of people know that. And even in his book, he described that he wanted his final day to be sitting on his swing next to his wife, Jean, and kind of watching the horizon. And he got to do that."
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Trebek had indeed described how he would be "content" if he spent his final days in this way.
"Here I am wanting to enjoy what might be the last of my days, and, what, I'm supposed to just stay at home and sit in a chair and stare into space?" Trebek said, per USA Today. "Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Yep, I'll be perfectly content if that's how my story ends: sitting on the swing with the woman I love, my soul mate, and our two wonderful children nearby."
Richards told Today that the fact that Trebek "wasn't in pain" and had this "nice final day I think makes all of us in the Jeopardy! family feel much better." He also reflected on the fact that Trebek was "even better than what you hoped for," and as host of Jeopardy!, he "made being smart cool." Brendan Morrow
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