Trebek offered support to other cancer patients, expressed peace with his future
"I've had one hell of a good life and I've enjoyed it. And the thought of passing on doesn't frighten me."
LOS ANGELES -- Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was adored by generations of game show and trivia fans.
He died Sunday morning following his very public battle with pancreatic cancer.
Trebek sat down with Eyewitness News anchor David Ono last year on the set of "Jeopardy" and spoke candidly about his fight with his disease.
He also related how he was offering words of encouragement to others battling the same illness. He admitted the treatment was not going as well as he hoped, but he remained graciously public about it.
After announcing his cancer diagnosis in March 2019, Trebek said he was flooded with hundreds of thousands of cards and letters from fans.
"Viewers of Jeopardy are like family to me," he said. "We've been together for 35 years. They know me very well and I know them very well because of all the mail I've received."
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Many of those letters were from people who were also struggling with pancreatic cancer or trying to help friends and family members who were. They often asked him for words of wisdom about how he deals with it.
"Just make up your mind that you're going to be a cancer survivor," he said. "Be optimistic. There are going to be bad days. And understand you'll deal with them. Hey, try to be as positive as you can. And relish the fact that you've had another day. That's a pretty good deal."
And Trebek exuded a sense of peace about his own mortality, saying he had lived a good life and was not scared of death.
"I've had one hell of a good life and I've enjoyed it. And the thought of passing on doesn't frighten me. It doesn't. Hey folks, it comes with the territory."
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