REMEMBER ALEX, WHOSE ABILITY TO
INSPIRE IS FAR FROM OVER.
>> WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE,
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
>> Reporter: HOW HAS THIS TIME
BEEN FOR YOU AND THE KIDS?
HOW HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN DOING?
>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW,
TALKING WITH YOU, IM GOOD.
YOU KNOW, IM GOOD.
I ABSOLUTELY HAVE MOMENTS OF
WAVES OF GRIEF THAT JUST COME
OVER ME.
STILL, REALLY DISBELIEF THAT HE
IS -- THAT HE IS GONE.
I MISS HIM A LOT.
>> Reporter: BUT NOW, UNDER THE
TOWERING PINES THAT ALEX LOVED
SO WELL, JEAN TREBEK IS FINDING
SOLACE, BY KNOWING HOW MUCH HE
MEANT TO SO MANY.
>> GOT TO REALLY SEE THE
OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND
ADMIRATION THAT HE GAVE TO THE
WORLD, AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS,
IN AND OF ITSELF, A HUGE
INSPIRATION FOR ALEX.
>> WE PROVIDE THE CATEGORIES AND
THE ANSWERS.
>> Reporter: IN HIS LONG CAREER,
ALEX TREBEK WENT FROM QUIZ SHOW
HOST TO BELOVED ICON.
A PROUD SON OF CANADA, HE WAS
THE PROUD ADOPTED SON OF THE
UNITED STATES.
THROUGH HIS CHARITABLE WORK, A
CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.
BUT WITH HIS FAMILY, ALEX WAS A
REGULAR GUY, A MR. FIXIT-IT WITH
PICKUP TRUCK.
>> PEOPLE DONT PICTURE ALEX IN
A PICKUP TRUCK.
>> Reporter: NO.
>> HE LOVED OWNING THIS.
>> Reporter: ONLY RARELY DID
ALEX COME ACROSS AS THE
INTELLECTUAL WE KNEW FROM
"JEOPARDY."
>> THE FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE.
>> GETTING NAMES RIGHT, THAT WAS
IMPORTANT TO HIM.
I COULD HEAR HIM WHEN HE WOULD
SEE SOMEONE ON TELEVISION, AND
THEY WOULD MISSPEAK SOMEONES
NAME, HED BE LIKE, OH, YOU
SHOULD HAVE CHECKED ON HOW TO
SAY THAT NAME.
>> Reporter: I HOPE HE NEVER
WATCHED THE "TODAY" SHOW.
CLEARLY, HE HAD A HEART FOR
SERVICE AND FOR SHARING WHAT HE
HAD.
>> HE LOVED REPRESENTING THE
UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES,
COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, HE REALLY WANTED TO BE
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE UNDERDOG.
>> Reporter: JEAN SAYS ALEX
WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF THE
DEDICATION OF THIS NEW HOMELESS
SHELTER IN LOS ANGELES.
HE AND JEAN HELPED FUND IT FOR
THE CHARITY HOPE OF THE VALLEY,
AND IT NOW PEARS THE FAMILY
NAME.
IN ANOTHER TIME, MAYBE HE WOULD
BE OUT THERE HAMMERING SOME
NAILS ON THAT NEW CENTER.
>> HE WOULD.
THAT IS SO TRUE.
THAT WOULD BE ALEX.
HE WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN
TO GRAB HIS TOOLS, GO DOWN, HELP
BUILD A SHED, DO THE SPRINKLERS,
REWIRE THE LIGHTING.
>> Reporter: AS JEAN SAYS, ALEX
EMBRACED LIFE IN EVERY WAY, BUT
AMERICA ALSO WAS MOVED BY THE
WAY HE LET IT GO.
>> THIS WEEK, I WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH STAGE 4 PANCREATIC CANCER.
>> Reporter: ALEX ACKNOWLEDGED
THE PAIN AND DEPRESSION HE WAS
GOING THROUGH, AND AT TIMES,
WONDERED IF IT WAS REALLY WORTH
FIGHTING ON.
>> THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A
MASSIVE BETRAYAL, A BETRAYAL OF
MY WIFE AND SOLE MATE JEAN, WHO
HAS GIVEN HER ALL TO HELP ME
SURVIVE.
>> Reporter: HE WASNT STOIC,
EVEN IN HIS ILLNESS.
HE WAS STRONG.
HE WAS REALLY HONEST ABOUT WHAT
HE WENT THROUGH AND WHAT IT WAS
LIKE FOR BOTH OF YOU.
>> I THINK THAT IS ONE OF ALEXS
ALEXS -- HIS GIFTS, WAS THAT HE
COULD BE VERY RESOLUTE AND KNOW
THAT THE TRUTH WILL NOT HURT
YOU.
HE WANTED TO, I THINK, EMPOWER
PEOPLE TO MOVE THROUGH WHATEVER
CHALLENGE THEY HAD IN LIFE WITH
A SENSE OF INNER STRENGTH, INNER DIGNITY, AND LOVE.
DIGNITY, AND LOVE.
>> Reporter: HE WAS SO DEDICATED
TO KEEP GOING TO WORK, EVEN WHEN
HE WAS SICK.
>> YEAH.
DOING "JEOPARDY" REALLY GAVE HIM
A SENSE OF PURPOSE, A REASON TO
WAKE UP IN THE MORNING.
AND I WOULD SAY WE ALL NEED
THAT.
WE ALL NEED A PURPOSE.
>> Reporter: WHAT GAVE HIM JOY
IN THOSE FINAL DAYS?
>> BEING AROUND MATTHEW AND
EMILY AND NIKKI.
HE LOVED HIS CHILDREN A LOT.
AND HE LOVED JUST DOING THE SAME
THINGS THAT HE ALWAYS LOVED
DOING.
WATCHING MOVIES, WATCHING
SPORTS.
HE LOVED COMEDY AND LISTENING TO
STAND-UP COMEDIANS A LOT.
DOING "JEOPARDY."
>> THANK YOU, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, FOR SPENDING THE TIME
WITH US.
>> Reporter: SOMEHOW, HE WAS
ABLE TO DO HIS FINAL SHOWS.
>> YEAH.
>> Reporter: JUST DAYS BEFORE HE
PASSED.
WERE YOU AMAZED THAT HE WAS ABLE
TO DO THAT?
DID YOU UNDERSTAND WHY HED WANT
TO?
>> YEAH.
I THINK, SAVANNAH, THAT I KNEW
HIS LIFE WAS GOING TO, ON EARTH
HERE, WRAP UP QUICKLY WHEN HE
COULD NO LONGER DO THE SHOW, BUT
HE WANTED TO FINISH STRONG.
AND HE DID.
AND HE LIVED LIFE ON HIS OWN
TERMS.
>> Reporter: AFTER MORE THAN A
YEAR OF PAIN, HE PASSED AWAY AT
HOME ON NOVEMBER 8th.
ALEX AND JEANS DAUGHTER, EMILY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE
MADE OF THE OUTPOURING AND THE
FEELINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT
HIM?
>> I THINK HE WOULD HAVE BEEN
SHOCKED, HONESTLY.
I THINK HE KNEW HE WAS LOVED AND
REVERED, BUT I DONT THINK TO
THIS LEVEL.
I THINK THAT THE SUPPORT AND THE
LOVE THATS BEEN SHOWN SINCE HE
PASSED HAS REALLY BEEN ON
ANOTHER LEVEL.
AND I THINK HE WOULD HAVE REALLY
APPRECIATED IT.
I THINK HE -- I THINK IT WOULD
MEAN A LOT TO HIM.
>> Reporter: JEAN IS STILL
OVERWHELMED BY THE OUTPOURING OF
SYMPATHY AFTER ALEXS DEATH.
BUT IN HER HEART, HE LIVES ON.
>> WE WERE BOTH, YOU KNOW, THE
YIN AND THE YANG TO EACH OTHER.
WE JUST KNEW HOW TO DANCE.
WE REALLY LOVED EACH OTHER.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LOVED BEING
IN LIFE TOGETHER.
>> WOW.
>> WE ALL KNEW ALEX WAS
EXTRAORDINARY.
NOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT HIS WIFE
AND HIS KIDS ARE, TOO.
YOU KNOW, THEY JUST, BOTH OF
THEM, I MEAN, I WAS SO STRUCK
THE MORE I LEARNED ABOUT ALEX.
I WAS REALLY JUST MOVED BY HOW
HONEST AND TRANSPARENT HE WAS
ABOUT HIS ILLNESS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK HES SO
STRONG, AND YOU THINK HE IS SO
RESOLUTE.
HE ACTUALLY TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT
WHAT WAS HARD AND WHEN HE FELT
DEPRESSED AND WHEN HE FELT LIKE
HE COULDNT GO ON.
I FOUND THAT TO BE INCREDIBLY
INSPIRING, HIS TRUTH.
>> WELL, I KNEW IT WAS A
PRIVILEGE FOR YOU TO FILL IN ON
"JEOPARDY."
IT HASNT AIRED YET.
NOW, AS IM WATCHING THIS PIECE,
ITS MAGNIFIED A THOUSAND TIMES.
>> IT REALLY WAS SO SPECIAL.
I MEAN, I DID GET TO DO A COUPLE
OF WEEKS ON "JEPOPARDY"JEOPARDY,
WILL AIR LATER IN THE SUMMER.
THEN, BY SURPRISE, I GOT TO
INTERVIEW MRS. TREBEK.
I FELT CONNECTED TO HER AND
APPRECIATED EVEN MORE WHAT ALEX
HAS DONE, WHAT IT TOOK, HOW HARD
IT WAS, AND HOW EXCELLENT HE
WAS.
>> WE KNEW ABOUT ALEX TREBEKS
MAGICAL SPIRIT, BUT UNTIL NOW, I
GUESS I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS A
SPIRIT THE ENTIRE TREBEK CLAN