Jeopardy! 7-Time Champion Courtney Shah Dies After Winning $118,558

Q: What made Dr. Courtney Shah unforgettable to students, trivia players, and Jeopardy! fans alike?

Dr. Courtney Shah was unforgettable because she combined elite knowledge with a rare ability to make people feel that learning and trivia mattered. On *Jeopardy!*, she stood out as a seven-time champion whose 2021 run produced $118,558 in winnings and a return trip to the 2022 Tournament of Champions. Fans remembered both her calm, formidable play and the humility she showed afterward, saying she could hardly believe her success. Her run also carried a wider impact because *Jeopardy!* matched her winnings with a donation to Odyssey Atlanta. In the classroom, Shah left a deeper mark. Lower Columbia College, where she taught history for nearly 20 years, said she had a gift for bringing history to life and making it relevant to every student. Former students described her as a powerful teacher whose lessons stayed with them long after class. Her scholarship, including work on gender, sexuality, medicine, and race, reinforced her reputation as a serious historian who could also connect with a broad audience. In the trivia world, she was known as a fixture of the Portland-area scene and a consistently strong competitor. Even during her illness, family updates said she was still answering *Jeopardy!* clues before others in the room, underscoring how central curiosity and quick thinking were to who she was. Taken together, Shah’s legacy was not just that she knew so much, but that she made knowledge engaging, generous, and memorable to everyone around her.

3 articles · Updated · thejeopardyfan.com · Jul 25

Dr. Courtney Shah, a 7-time Jeopardy! champion and 2022 Tournament of Champions contestant, died peacefully at her home, according to multiple reports.
Shah began her winning run on June 28, 2021, during Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s guest-hosting stint, and finished with $118,558 in prize money that was matched as a donation to Odyssey Atlanta.
In November 2022, she returned for the Tournament of Champions and lost in the quarterfinals to John Focht.
Lower Columbia College said Shah had taught history there for nearly 20 years, while the Portland-area trivia community also knew her as a regular fixture.
A memorial service is scheduled for Aug. 10 at the Rose Center for the Arts on the Lower Columbia College campus.