Cindy Stowell’s six-day Jeopardy! ended on Wednesday night. The champion who died of cancer before her episodes could air had a run full of come-from-behind dramatics and a quiet, reserved calm. She was also, amazingly, fighting Stage IV cancer and on medication to manage the pain.
Stowell took her 6-day, $103,803 win streak into a tough Wednesday show that saw all three contestants near the $10,000-mark heading into Final Jeopardy. All three knew the answer to Final Jeopardy — the Bahamas — but Stowell was in second before the final question and couldn’t make it to seven days.
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek narrated a brief tribute to Stowell after the episode ended, pointing out what most viewers by now had known: Stowell died on December 5, before we ever met the show’s newest star.
https://twitter.com/xmasape/status/811738199022305281
Jeopardy!‘s winningest contestant, Ken Jennings, made a sad point — Stowell would have competed in the shows Tournament of Champions.
Cindy qualified for a Tournament of Champions she wouldn't live to see. In 2016 "bittersweet" is the best we can do. https://t.co/hvujLuBZtt
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) December 21, 2016
Stowell won an additional $2,000 for her second place finish, which means she donated $105,803 to cancer research. In a year full or tragedy and death, Stowell is a tragic hero.
