The late host of the popular game show “Jeopardy!” is receiving a special gift nearly four years after his death.
The United States Postal Service released a Forever postage stamp in honor of Alex Trebek on Monday, which would have been his 84th birthday.
“This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ for 37 seasons,” the stamp reads in the style of the game show. The correct answer is on the bottom and upside down: “Who is Alex Trebek?”
Ken Jennings, Trebek’s successor, spoke out about the stamps in a recent clip.
“‘Jeopardy!’ was always my favorite show growing up,” Jennings said. “I ran home after school every day to watch the smarty pants on ‘Jeopardy!’ — and Alex Trebek. For kids like me, he was almost like a symbol of knowledge and authority.”
Trebek’s wife, Jean, shared her thoughts at the ceremony for the stamp’s official launch in Los Angeles.
“His life had such a beautiful impact on so many people around the world,” she said, according to People magazine, “and it’s just a real honor for my family and I to be here with all of you to acknowledge that. Alex would have felt overwhelmed with humility and joy to receive such a distinctive tribute.”
“Jeopardy!” posted a picture of the stamps on social media, captioning: “84 years ago today, a legend was born. We are thrilled to celebrate the dedication of the USPS’s Forever stamp honoring Alex Trebek today.”
Fans of the show and anyone who wants to buy the stamps can purchase them for 73 cents apiece or $14.60 for a sheet of 20, designed to look like the show’s game board.
After the stamp was unveiled at the ceremony, Jean Trebek said that hosting “Jeopardy!” was “a labor of love” for Alex.
“He also found great pleasure in the fact that the contestants were the true stars of the show — and he loved getting to know his audience,” she said to People. “This was a perfect time for him to share more about himself, as well as to show off his great wit.”
Jean also shared that her husband “was so very proud” of their children, Matthew and Emily, and Nicky, whose mother is Alex’s first wife, Elaine Callei.
Trebek, who was born and raised in Canada, started hosting game shows in the early 1970s, notably with NBC’s “The Wizard of Odds.” He made the switch to ABC’s “Jeopardy!” in 1984.
Trebek hosted “Jeopardy!” for almost 40 years. He hosted his final episode a week before passing away in November 2020 after battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Trebek suffered from other health issues during his time on the show, including two heart attacks, surgery to remove blood clots in his brain and a torn Achilles tendon.
Last year, Jennings spoke on the final conversation he had with Trebek.
“I actually ended up talking to him what turned out to be the night before the day he passed away, about guest hosting for him,” Jennings recalled during an appearance on the “Last Podcast on the Left” this past August.
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