He Was the King of Questions: Jeopardy!'s Steven Dorfman, 48

Steven Dorfman, who came up with more than 50,000 questions during his 20-year tenure on Jeopardy! and won six Daytime Emmys for writing, died January 4 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. He was 48.

A Wayne State University graduate, Dorfman had been with the iconic quiz show since its beginnings in 1984. Colleagues remembered Dorfman for his creativity, wit and devotion to the show.

"It was the only job I ever wanted," Dorfman once said.

"We are deeply saddened by Steven’s passing," said Executive Producer Harry Friedman. "He had a true passion for Jeopardy! All of us on the staff were inspired by his inventive and original style."

"Steven was one of the first writers I hired for Jeopardy!," said host Alex Trebek. "For the past 20 years, he has been our most imaginative and prolific writer. The show will miss him greatly, and on a personal level, I will too."

Dorfman is survived by his parents Neil and Debbie Dorfman of West Bloomfield, Michigan, two sisters and a grandmother. It was requested that memorials be sent to the Michigan Cancer Foundation or to another charity of choice.