News has come out that Jeopardy! champion Dr. Courtney Shah, known for her seven-game winning streak, has passed away. Dr. Shah’s family had shared the news in a statement. At the time, Courtney’s daughter also shared how much the game show meant to her mother in her final years.
Dr. Courtney Shah First Appeared On Jeopardy! In 2021
Courtney became known to many Jeopardy! fans after she competed on the show in 2021. At the time, she would earn a total of $118,558 across a seven-game winning streak. She would also earn an additional $2,000 for her second-place finish during her eighth game.
Courtney also competed in the 2022 Tournament of Champions, where she placed third in her quarterfinal match. This earned her $5,000.
During her initial win, the game show also highlighted Courtney’s skills early on. In 2021, the show’s official YouTube channel released a video showcasing five of her wins.
Tragically, news has come out that Courtney had passed away at the age of 52. According to a post from the nonprofit CaringBridge, as shared by People, she was said to have died “in the comfort of her home” on Wednesday, July 22, as announced by her daughter, Maya Shaw.
Reportedly, Courtney had been receiving hospice care at home since March. This came about after learning that treatment for her brain cancer had not been working.
A Memorial Service Will Be Held In Dr. Shah’s Honor In August
In a tribute to her mother, Maya shared, “I don’t know what you believe about death, but I like to think that she’s at peace now. We loved her in this world, and we loved her out of this world, and we’ll go on loving her.”
Maya continued, “Thank you for your grace in all of this. It hasn’t been easy. It will continue not to be easy. Hug your loved ones.”
Previously, Maya shared that her mother’s love of Jeopardy! helped give her comfort amid her cancer diagnosis. At the time, Maya shared that she was still “watching basketball, rooting for Duke and uh, firing off Jeopardy! answers before anyone else in the room.”
According to the radio station KLOG, a memorial service celebrating Dr. Shah’s life will be held on Monday, August 10, at the Rose Center for the Arts on the Lower Columbia College campus. Dr. Shah had spent two decades teaching U.S. and World History at LCC, starting in 2007. She was also known for coordinating the college’s Community Conversations program and had even served as a keynote speaker during LCC’s 90th anniversary celebration.
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.