Jeopardy! Champion Cindy Stowell's Winnings to Benefit Cancer Research Institute

There can’t be many Jeopardy! champions easier to root for than Cindy Stowell.

Ms. Stowell has developed a fan base like few other contestants. But she is unable to enjoy her performance on TV, or the outpouring of love from “Jeopardy!” watchers.

That’s because she died on Dec. 5, just over a week before her episodes began showing. She was 41.

Her boyfriend, Jason Hess, and her relatives Greg Stowell and Carole Stowell said in a statement, “Cindy came on ‘Jeopardy!’ to play the game she loved, and in doing so, she was able to make a contribution to cancer research in the hopes that no one else would have to go through what she did.”

The money will go to the Cancer Research Institute, according to KXAN, a TV station in Austin.