Courtney Shah, 7-time ‘Jeopardy!’ champion, dies at 52

Dr. Courtney Shah, the community college teacher and reality TV contestant best known for her appearances on “Jeopardy!,” has died, according to reports. She was 52.

Shah’s daughter, Maya Shah, announced that the former game show contestant, who made history with her seven-time winning streak, died on July 22 “in the comfort of her home” following a battle with brain cancer, according to People magazine and NBC affiliate WCNC. Maya Shah shared the news in a post on the nonprofit online network CaringBridge.

“I don’t know what you believe about death, but I like to think that she’s at peace now,” Maya Shah wrote, per People and WCNC. “We loved her in this world, and we loved her out of this world, and we’ll go on loving her.”

Shah had been receiving hospice care at home after learning in March that her cancer treatment, which included radiation and chemotherapy, had not been working, per People magazine.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for “Jeopardy!” for comment.

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Shah, a history instructor at Lower Columbia College, competed on the iconic game show in 2021 and turned heads with an unprecedented weeklong winning streak, which culminated in Shah earning $118,558 after winning seven consecutive games. She racked up an additional $2,000 in her eighth appearance.

“I really never imagined that I would get here,” Shah said after her fifth game, according to an archive clip from the show. “I’m not quite sure that this is actually reality yet.”

Shah followed up her historic “Jeopardy!” victory in 2022 with an appearance in the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals, where she faced off with fellow contestants Rowan Ward and John Focht. The game show alum ultimately lost to Focht, but she and Ward each took home $5,000.

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Shah’s daughter Maya paid tribute to her legacy in her CaringBridge post and thanked the reality TV personality’s supporters for “your grace in all of this,” People magazine and WCNC reported.

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Courtney Shah, 7-time ‘Jeopardy!’ champion, dies at 52