Ken Jennings Says Alex Trebek Meant 'Everything' to the Jeopardy! Family in Heartfelt Tribute 4 Years After His Death

“He said, ‘Ken, most people don’t get to hear the nice things about themselves, because people don’t say it until after they’re gone … I got to hear all those things while I’m still here,'” Jennings recalled of Trebek reacting to the fans’ support

Alex Trebek. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Four years after his death, Alex Trebek is as loved as ever.

Jeopardy! honored Trebek with a sweet video posted to their Instagram on Nov. 8, exactly four years after he died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80.

In the clip, current host and 74-game Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings recounted a special interaction between him and Trebek shortly after the longtime host revealed his diagnosis in 2019.

“Today, on the anniversary of his passing, I’ve been thinking a lot about the last time I ever came here to watch him host,” Jennings began. “It was shortly before the pandemic, and he had announced his cancer diagnosis, and he actually asked if I would come backstage. And I was a little bit apprehensive about this. I’d never been to his dressing room, as a contestant.”

“He wasn’t feeling great that day,” he continued. “Often he would look and sound fantastic while doing the show, but he wasn’t in the best shape backstage, but he greeted me warmly, and I asked how he was doing, and I was really touched by how emotional he was about the outpouring of love he was getting from Jeopardy fans.”

“You would not believe just the tens of thousands of letters and notes and afghans [blankets] and emails and everything that poured in,” he went on. “And he went through and read everything, and he said, ‘Ken, most people don’t get to hear the nice things about themselves, because people don’t say it until after they’re gone. They say those things at the funeral.’ He said, ‘I got to hear all those things while I’m still here,’ and it was just sweet how genuinely thoughtful and grateful he was for that opportunity.”

Jennings concluded his heartfelt video by noting, “It struck me then that maybe he had never thought much about how much he meant to people as a light entertainer, a quiz show host. He didn’t realize how important he was to people who watched Jeopardy!. I remember giving him a hug, and maybe that was a mistake — I don’t know if Alex was a hugger — but it was just nice to be able to see him and think about how he thought about his life that way.”

“He didn’t realize what he meant to us, which was which was everything,” he added.

Fans took to the comments to remember Trebek as well, who was beloved after hosting the iconic game show for 37 seasons.

“Crazy to think it’s already been 4 years,” one user wrote. “Alex, we love you, and we miss you. Hope heaven’s treating you well.”

Another commented: “He felt like an honorary grandfather in many ways. No matter what was happening in my life as I was growing up, Alex and the show were a constant source of comfort to a nerdy girl trying to figure out her place in the world. A true class act. We miss you, Alex. ❤️”

“Thank you, Alex…,” someone else wrote simply.

Alex Trebek.Getty

Trebek died on Nov. 8, 2020 after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in March 2019. Just months prior to his diagnosis, in January 2019, Trebek opened up to PEOPLE about a possible future retirement, which he didn’t see for himself anytime soon.

“They’ve been wondering [if I’m going to retire] for years,” he said at the time. “Somebody asked me once, ‘Have you given any thought to retiring?’ This was about seven, eight years ago. And I said, ‘Yes I have.’ Well, all of a sudden, Trebek is retiring. No. He has thought about retirement!”

He continued, “You get to a certain age, and if you’ve been doing the same show for 30 years, or the same job, whatever it is, for 30 years, wouldn’t you think about retirement? What am I gonna do? I’m enjoying myself and I’m having a good time with what I’m doing now, but if I were to retire, what would I do? I’d be lost.”

Trebek continued to work on Jeopardy! through his cancer battle up until he died, with his final episode airing posthumously in January 2021.