'Jeopardy!' contestant with cancer dies a week before episode will air

Cindy Stowell was battling Stage 4 cancer when she competed on “Jeopardy!” back in August. The 41-year-old science-content developer’s episode is set to air on Dec. 13, but unfortunately she won’t be able to watch it. Sadly, Stowell passed away from the disease on Monday.

"Competing on Jeopardy! was a lifelong dream for Cindy, and we're glad she was able to do so," said host Alex Trebek in a statement. "Sadly, Cindy died on Dec. 5. All of us at Jeopardy! offer our condolences and best wishes to her family and friends."

Her longtime boyfriend, Jason, shared her passing on Twitter:

"In the early morning hours cancer took the best friend, partner and pub trivia teammate a guy could ask for. Love you always @nanocindy"

"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," said her father, Greg Stowell, and mother, Carole Stowell  in a joint statement.

About the Author