Let me tell you a story about a man who, even in his later years, could still recall the flutter of his first crush with vivid detail. Alex Trebek, the beloved host of Jeopardy!, takes us down memory lane in his new book, The Answer Is … : Reflections on My Life. In this memoir, exclusively obtained by Closer Weekly, Alex shares the sweet, innocent loves of his childhood that left an indelible mark on his heart.
Young Alex's Crushes: Love in the Classroom
Now, here's something you might not know about Alex. When he was just a kid in grade four, he fell head over heels for his teacher, Miss Charboneau. But the story doesn’t end there. The next year, in grade five, another teacher swept him off his feet—Miss L’abbe. Alex, now 79, writes with a tender nostalgia about how Miss L’abbe was even more beautiful than the one before her. These early experiences of love shaped the man he would become, teaching him the value of admiration and respect.
A Kiss That Lasted a Lifetime
One particular moment stands out in Alex's memory. On the last day before break, he and his classmate, Adelard Baker, stayed after school to help Miss L’abbe carry her presents to her apartment. When they arrived, she rewarded them with something truly unforgettable—a kiss on the lips. Alex writes, “I don’t remember how I spent that fifty cents, but I lived off that kiss for weeks. I thought, ‘My God, she kissed me! I’m in love!’” Can you imagine the impact of a single moment like that on a young boy's heart?
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A Lifelong Companion: Jean Currivan Trebek
As it turns out, Alex isn’t just a sucker for youthful romance. His love for his wife, Jean Currivan Trebek, is just as passionate and enduring. They met over three decades ago, and Alex admits he wasn’t looking for love at the time. But Jean was different. “With Jean, I recognized at a gut level that here was someone who was going to complete me as a human being,” he writes. Their marriage in 1990 was the start of a beautiful journey together, one that has included raising two children, Matthew Trebek, 30, and Emily Trebek, 27.
Jean has been more than just a loving spouse; she’s been Alex’s rock, especially since his diagnosis with stage IV pancreatic cancer in March 2019. An insider told Closer that during some of Alex’s darkest days, Jean’s unwavering support kept him going. “She makes him smile when he least expects it. He says he’s only beaten the odds this long because of his wife’s daily support,” the source revealed.
