Jeopardy! fans remember late contestant Cindy Stowell as she appears in game show moment 8 years after death

JEOPARDY! fans have honored player Cindy Stowell, who died of cancer, after she was featured in a recent clip.

The Texas native appeared on Jeopardy! in 2016 but died from complications of colon cancer days before her episode aired.

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Jeopardy! posted a clip from Cindy’s episode on Instagram on Saturday to celebrate announcer Johnny Gilbert’s birthday.

The clip featured the late Alex Trebek as host and Johnny, 98, reading the clues.

In the comments, some fans wished Johnny a happy birthday, while others honored Cindy and Alex, who died at 80 from pancreatic cancer.

“Rip both Cindy and Alex,” one fan posted.

“Happy Birthday Johnny plus RIP Cindy & Alex as well,” a second fan shared.

“Cindy was special,” a third fan praised.

The same clip was posted on TikTok where fans continued to weigh in.

“RIP Alex and Cindy,” someone shared.

REST IN PEACE

Cindy appeared on Jeopardy! in 2016 amid her battle with cancer.

Her dream was to appear on the game show before she died and donate her prize money to cancer-related organizations, according to CBS News .

She wrote a letter to production about her cancer diagnosis.

“Do you have any idea how long it typically takes between an in-person interview and the taping date? I ask because I just found out that I don’t have too much longer to live. The doctor’s best guess is about six months,” she wrote.

“If there is the change that I’d be able to still tape episodes of Jeopardy! if I were selected, I’d like to do that and donate any winnings to … charities involved in cancer research. If it is unlikely that the turnaround time would be that quick, then I’d like to give up my tryout spot to someone else.”

She was told that if she passed her audition, she would be booked for a taping as soon as possible.

Jeopardy! Host Timeline

Jeopardy! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts after the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are all of the hosts since the game show's inception in 1964.

Art Fleming – 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.

Alex Trebek – 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted Jeopardy!’s modern iteration for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.

Guest hosts – 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested out a series of guest hosts for week or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton, and Aaron Rodgers.

Mike Richards – 2021, he was named host for one week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show’s executive producer at the time.

Mayim Bialik – 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.

Mayim and Ken Jennings – 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the longest-winning contestant ever) joined Mayim as a guest host and they split hosting duties.

Ken Jennings – 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would “no longer” host Jeopardy! after a lengthy hiatus, having stood with the writer’s strike, and Ken was named sole host.

Ken now helms all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the nightly show, and other primetime specials like Masters.

The contestant, a science content developer, died eight days before her episode aired.

Alex released a statement about her passing at the time.

“When Cindy Stowell taped her appearance on Jeopardy! she had Stage 4 cancer,” Alex said.

“Competing on Jeopardy! was a lifelong dream for Cindy and we’re glad she was able to do so. Sadly, Cindy died on December 5. Our condolences and best wishes to her family and friends.”

“Cindy came on Jeopardy to play the game she loved, and in doing so she was able to make a contribution to cancer research in the hopes that no one else would have to go through what she did,” Greg Stowell, Carole Stowell, and Cindy’s longtime boyfriend Jason Hess added.

TREBEK TRIBUTE

Alex died in 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The show has paid tribute to him many times since he stepped back from his hosting duties.

In June 2023, it was announced that the longtime host would be featured on a Forever Stamp .

Fans were thrilled by the news but some felt the design of the stamp could have been more punchy.

The United States Postal Service announced that Alex would be featured on the latest Forever Stamp at the time.

His successor, Ken Jennings , unveiled the honor during an episode of the game show.

The stamps feature a clue that read, “This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show Jeopardy! for 37 seasons.”

Underneath and upside down is the answer, written in the show’s signature format: “Who is Alex Trebek?”

Fans took to Reddit to argue over the stamp design, with some dissatisfied with the look.

While Alex is on the pane of the stamp sheet, he does not appear on the actual stamps.

“Okay, it’s great Alex Trebek is being honored with a stamp, but it’s got to be one of the most boring stamps in US Postal History,” one user posted.

“Alex only appears on the pane, with the actual stamp being a Jeopardy!-style clue about him.

“This seems more like a stamp commemorating the Jeopardy! 60th Anniversary than Alex himself,” they went on.

“Since most people will only ever encounter this stamp when they see it on their mail, I agree that it would have been nice for him to actually appear on the stamp itself,” someone else agreed.

“That said, his name is there and it’s about him and at the end of the day, it is a nice honour for him to receive,” a third supporter argued.

Other fans felt the stamps would have been better with a different clue.

“Also, there isn’t any variety, every stamp is the same clue lol but still amazing honor,” a fourth social media user suggested.

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