Now, his family is showing it means not just to give back but also pay it forward, by donating much Trebek's wardrobe.
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George Tucker is pretty excited to have his hands on a new suit, new at least for him.
"I got a famous suit now," he said. "He had all the answers. I'll give you the answers."
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Trebek passed away in November after a fight with pancreatic cancer, and his son Matthew decided to donate a portion of his father's wardrobe to The Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization in New York working to help break the cycle of incarceration, homelessness and addiction.
"We're deeply honored the Trebek family decided to give it to the men in blue," Doe Fund President Harriet McDonald said.
Keeping the street clean is part of the job training that the Doe Fund provides to previously homeless or incarcerated men. McDonald is now at the helm of the organization that her husband George started 35 years ago.
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He died two weeks ago and loved watching "Jeopardy!" in his final year.
"When we heard about this donation, Alex had passed and my husband was not well," she said. "It was like God was smiling."
The donation includes 14 suits, 58 dress shirts, and 300 neckties, plus shoes, belts and other items that will be distributed for men to wear on job interviews.
"Alex's suits are going to make them fit in, feel like a million dollars," McDonald said. "Not like they've been homeless or incarcerated."
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Tucker spent 20 years in prison for assault and was released in March.
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"Feel good, feel nice, nice fitting," Tucker said. "If I gain an extra 20 pounds, I'm still keeping the suit."
He said the Doe Fund is putting him on the right path.
"I made a big leap in my life," he said. "I feel good now."
And while there aren't a whole lot of reasons to wear a suit during a pandemic, Tucker is looking forward to the time he steps out in his new digs, whether it's for an in-person job interview or a special occasion.
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