Dr. Courtney Shah died at 4:57 AM on July 22 at her home in the Longview, Washington area at age 52, surrounded by her family. Her daughter Maya announced the death on CaringBridge, the same platform where the family had shared updates since Shah's glioblastoma diagnosis was revealed in February 2026.
"My mom died today, in the comfort of her home," Maya wrote. "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."
Shah was a history professor at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington, where she taught U.S. and World History. She first appeared on Jeopardy! in 2021, winning seven consecutive games and $118,558 before being defeated in her eighth appearance.
She was the first woman with more than five consecutive wins since the post-Alex Trebek era began. She returned for the 2022 Tournament of Champions, reaching the quarterfinals.
The family announced her diagnosis in February after she experienced numbness and weakness on the left side of her face.
By March, the cancer was not responding to treatment and she entered hospice care. In her final weeks she was still watching basketball, rooting for Duke and firing off Jeopardy answers before everyone else in the room.
A celebration of her life will be held August 10 at the Rose Center for the Arts on Lower Columbia College's campus.