A “Jeopardy!” contestant has misplaced her husband three weeks after giving him a “huge shoutout” on a current episode.
Maria Lauro, a contract specialist from Pittsburgh, made her recreation present debut Dec. 20, going up towards Joe Asaminew, an ER doctor from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Laura Faddah, a supervisor from Memphis, Tennessee.
The widow mentioned that regardless of her present second being a “dream come true,” watching the debut of her episode was “bittersweet” after her husband died.
The host, Ken Jennings, carried out his day by day interview section, strolling over to every contestant’s podium and giving them a second to share a bit about themselves.
“I’m told you want to shout-out your family. Your husband and your son,” he mentioned to Lauro.
“I’m a quiz mom and a history mom. My husband has been trying to get me to apply for this show for years,” she mentioned. “That is my first time making an attempt out. The truth is, earlier than I received the decision, he mentioned, ‘Is it time for you to reapply?’ He’s my coach.
“And because this show is being aired during the holidays it’s a Christmas present for him. Honey, you were right!”
Following the episode, Lauro wrote on-line that her husband died between the time of filming and her episode airing.
“Today is probably the most bittersweet day of my life. Thanks to the encouragement of my husband, I tried out and actually made it to the Alex Trebek stage,” she expressed in a heartbreaking message, per the Solar.
“And, as you’ll see if you watch, I gave him an enormous shout-out in my interview, which I used to be conserving a secret.
“However he’s by no means going to see it as a result of he unexpectedly died three weeks in the past. (He did know the way I did.)
“I’ve got a bunch of people meeting me at a local bar that plays the show every night. I know he’d want me to enjoy my 15 minutes of fame,” Lauro concluded. “But God, this is hard.”
Regardless of the tragedy, Lauro referred to as her time on “Jeopardy!” one in all “the best experiences” of her life.
Based on the on-line obituary, Lauro’s husband, Leo, died Nov. 29, at 61.
The 2 had been highschool sweethearts and met on Lauro’s seventeenth birthday after becoming a member of a gaggle of pals for a film on the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
After graduating from highschool, they started relationship and Leo’s mom remembered Lauro’s mom.
“Their relationship blossomed into a powerful marriage that lasted over 30 years. In all pursuits, Leo was Maria’s largest cheerleader.
“For a few years, he inspired her to check out for Jeopardy! She lastly did in 2023 and after she received the decision to be on the present final August, he excitedly coached Maria to arrange for her taping in October.
“Unfortunately, he did not get to see her appearance, which is on Dec. 20,” the obituary learn.
Leo is survived by Lauro and their son, Leo Jr.
In the course of the recreation, Lauro had numerous correct solutions and fast buzzer play however ended the sport in third place with $799.
