Seven-Time ‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Dead at 52: RIP to Courtney Shah

Dr. Courtney Shah, a seven-time Jeopardy! champion has passed away. She was 52.

Shah succumbed to brain cancer at her home on July 22nd. She had been receiving hospice care since this winter after treatment failed to work.

Upon learning of her passing, a Jeopardy! spokesperson said the following of Shah: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Courtney Shah, a seven-time Jeopardy! champion and a formidable Tournament of Champions competitor. On behalf of everyone at Jeopardy!, we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the many people whose lives she touched.”

In addition to her Jeopardy! wins, Shah, who earned a PhD from the University of Houston, also competed in the show’s Tournament of Champions and taught history courses at Washington’s Lower Columbia College.

Her game show win streak took place in 2021 when she earned $118,558 beginning with a June episode guest hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Dr. Shah pocketed another $2,000 in an eighth appearance on the show, then added $5,000 more when she appeared on the Tournament of Champions.

Shah’s daughter Maya shared news and thoughts of her mother’s death on CaringBridge. “I don’t know what you believe about death, but I like to think that she’s at peace now,” Maya wrote on the nonprofit site. “We loved her in this world, and we loved her out of this world, and we’ll go on loving her.

“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. Tell stories about my mom. Light a candle, say a prayer, pour out a drink—find something that feels meaningful to you to honor the gift that was her presence.”

Dr. Shah’s life will be celebrated on the campus where she taught, Lower Columbia, on August 10, at the Rose Center for the Arts.