Courtney Shah, a seven-time Jeopardy! winner and longtime history professor at Washington’s Lower Columbia College, died on July 22 after battling brain cancer, her family confirmed, according to E! News. She was 52.
Her daughter, Maya Shah, said in a CaringBridge update that Courtney died at home early in the morning on July 22, 2026. Maya also thanked people for their support and encouraged others to honor her mother in meaningful ways.
Courtney first appeared on Jeopardy! in 2021 and won seven straight games, earning $118,558, plus $2,000 for finishing second in her eighth game, according to J! Archive. She returned the following year for the 2022 Tournament of Champions, where she placed third in her quarterfinal match and won $5,000, according to Jeopardy!.
Earlier this year, Maya announced that her mother had been diagnosed with brain cancer after Courtney began experiencing numbness and weakness on the left side of her face in January. In later updates, Maya said Courtney was not responding to radiation or chemotherapy as hoped and had chosen to stop treatment and enter hospice care.
Maya said that during that time, her mother found comfort in watching basketball, rooting for Duke, and answering Jeopardy! clues before anyone else in the room.
