Dr. Courtney Shah, a seven-time "Jeopardy!" champion and longtime college professor, died on Wednesday, July 22, at her home following a battle with brain cancer. She was 52.
"I don't know what you believe about death, but I like to think that she's at peace now. We loved her in this world, and we loved her out of this world, and we'll go on loving her," Maya Shah wrote.
Shah's brain cancer diagnosis led to months of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, but by mid-March those therapies were no longer working, according to an update at the time on CaringBridge by family member Maulin Shah. Facing that reality, Shah chose to stop treatment and enter hospice care, a decision described in the update as "brave" and "clear-eyed.”
The update noted that Shah was experiencing numbness and weakness on her left side but that her other symptoms remained largely under control. Even amid the diagnosis, she continued watching basketball, answering "Jeopardy!"-style trivia ahead of others in the room and spending time with family.
By late March, Shah had transitioned into what hospice workers described to her family as "comfort care," focused on quality of life and symptom relief rather than curing her illness. A hospice nurse visited the family's home weekly to monitor her condition and adjust her care plan.
Shah chose to remain in her own home rather than relocate, with her children and hired caregivers supporting her daily needs. During that period, she attended a screening of "Project Hail Mary," visited Portland's waterfront to see cherry blossoms, watched a March Madness game between Gonzaga and Kennesaw State at the Moda Center, and toured the Portland Art Museum.
Beyond her television fame, Shah spent nearly two decades as a professor at Lower Columbia College, teaching U.S. and world history.
She is survived by her two children, Maya and Kamran, along with her parents and sister, all of whom remained closely involved in her care throughout her illness.