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Alex Trebek's French-Canadian Ancestry

Did you know that Alex Trebek had French-Canadian roots? His mother was a Lagacé, a common French name in Québec and French Canada. Explore the Jeopardy! host's genealogy all the way to France.

Trebek at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon (Anders Krusberg, Wikimedia Commons)

Trebek at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon (Anders Krusberg, Wikimedia Commons)

Last month we learned the sad news that Alex Trebek, the beloved host of Jeopardy!, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80. A household name to millions of television viewers around the world, Trebek hosted Jeopardy! for a whopping 37 seasons—over 7,500 episodes.

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, Alex Trebek was born in 1940 to George Trebek and Lucille Lagacé. After completing high school, Trebek attended the University of Ottawa, where he graduated in 1961 with a degree in philosophy. He chose a different career path, however, and decided to pursue journalism instead. His first job was at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), where he was dubbed the "youngest CBC permanent staff announcer in Canada." In the mid-1960s, Trebek became the host of Canadian game shows Reach for the Top and Jackpot. In the 1970s, he moved to Hollywood, California, where he hosted four more game shows before finally landing the top job on Jeopardy! in 1984. Fun fact: Lucille Ball urged her friend Merv Griffin to hire Trebek as the new Jeopardy! host.

Trebek was baptized as “J. George-Alexander Trebek” in Sudbury in 1940.

Trebek was baptized as “J. George-Alexander Trebek” in Sudbury in 1940.

Ottawa Citizen article, 17 Jun 1961.

Ottawa Citizen article, 17 Jun 1961.

Ukrainian and French-Canadian Roots

Trebek grew up in a multilingual household. His father, George Trebek, was of Ukrainian origin, possibly born in Siberia. His mother, Lucille Lagacé, came from a long line of French Canadians. Between the two of them, they spoke English, French, Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian.

The 1939 marriage of Alex Trebek’s parents, George Trebek and Lucille Lagacé (2nd entry), showing a birthplace of Siberia for George.

The 1939 marriage of Alex Trebek’s parents, George Trebek and Lucille Lagacé (2nd entry), showing a birthplace of Siberia for George.

Postcard of Sudbury, circa 1890-1965 (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec).

Postcard of Sudbury, circa 1890-1965 (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec).

“My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn’t bother me in the least. I will die without having come up with the answers to many things in life.”
— Alex Trebek (from "The Answer Is... Reflections On My Life")

A Soldier and a Fille du roi

Interestingly, when we trace Lucille Lagacé's patrilineal line back in time (from her father to his father to his father and so on), we learn that her first ancestor to come to New France in the 17th century wasn't a Lagacé but a Mignier (or Migné). Lagacé was a dit name (click here for an explanation on dit names).

André Mignier was born in 1651 in present-day Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré, Charente-Maritime, France. He came to New France in 1665 as a 14-year-old soldier in the Carignan-Salières regiment. At the end of his service in 1668, he decided to settle in Québec. At the age of 17, he married Fille du roi Jacquette Michel (or Michaud) on 23 Nov 1668 at Notre-Dame in Québec. She was 14 years his senior.

Author's note: because of this age difference, as well as André's very young age at his wedding and during his years as a soldier (and several other documents implying an earlier date of birth), some have questioned whether the baptism record found in 1651 truly belongs to André (even though his parents' names match that on his marriage record). It is possible that he was born much earlier than 1651.

1651 baptism of André Mignier (Fichier Origine)

1651 baptism of André Mignier (Fichier Origine)

Location of Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré in France (Google Maps)

Location of Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré in France (Google Maps)

Are you related to Alex Trebek? See if you can spot any relatives you may have in common. Trebek and yours truly, The French-Canadian Genealogist, are 7th cousins, once removed (click here for a handy family relationship chart).    

 
The French-Canadian Roots of Alex Trebek
 
 
 

Sources and further reading: