In tribute to what would have been Alex Trebek‘s 84th birthday on Monday (July 22), the United States Postal Service revealed a commemorative forever stamp honoring the beloved Jeopardy! host.
Alex’s wife, Jean Trebek, and current Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings were on hand at the dedication ceremony held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City. They also featured alongside Jeopardy! producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss in a special video released by the USPS paying tribute to the Daytime Emmy-winning personality.
In the video, Jean said, “Alex was so proud to be host of Jeopardy! He really, really was. I think he and the show grew together to be this iconic show that would bless the world. It really did, it brought people together, it healed people, it schooled people on how to speak English. He was such a curious man, and here was a job that he could really sink his teeth into and grow and expand. He loved Jeopardy! I know that working at Jeopardy! even at the end of his life was very important.”
Alex, who hosted Jeopardy! for almost 40 years, died on November 8, 2020, from pancreatic cancer. After a string of guest hosts, Jennings, the show’s most winning contestant, was selected as the new permanent host.
“Jeopardy! was always my favorite show growing up,” Jennings shared. “I ran home after school every day to watch the smarty pantses on Jeopardy! and Alex Trebek. For kids like me, he was a symbol of knowledge and authority.”
Jennings also explained how he saw Alex a few times after his diagnosis and he was still committed to hosting Jeopardy! even when not feeling great.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
“The day I talked to him, he had just been receiving this outpouring of love from fans — tens of thousands of notes and emails. He was so delighted. I don’t think he knew what he meant to us,” Jennings added. “He said, ‘Ken, most people don’t get to hear all the nice things about them until they’re gone, it happens at the their funeral. I was here to hear all the nice things.’ And I thought, what a lovely way to look at just a terrible stroke of luck. He was one of a kind.”
Whitcomb Foss, who has worked on Jeopardy! since 2001, said, “Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! for almost four decades, and in that time, so many people got to know him, got to know Jeopardy! and it was a shared experience for families everywhere. I think it’s a part of American culture and he’s our ultimate father figure.”
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
She also said that Alex’s favorite part of hosting the show was getting to talk to the contestants. “He loved a curious mind, he appreciated it, and I think it’s what we all loved when we watched him host, is that we got to learn right along with him. We couldn’t have had a better teacher,” she stated.
Alex’s Forever stamp includes a question about him in the style of Jeopardy!‘s iconic puzzle board layout with the classic blue background. The clue on the stamp reads: “This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show Jeopardy! for 37 seasons.”
Speaking in the video, Michael Elston, secretary of the USPS Board of Governors, said, “As the host of Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek set a world record hosting more than 8,200 episodes over 37 years. He became a beloved, trusted presence in millions of homes each weekday, and he won eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host, a lifetime achievement Emmy, and many other accolades.”
At the unveiling of the stamp, Jean said, “[Alex’s] life had such a beautiful impact on so many people around the world, 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.”
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