‘Irreplaceable’ Lexington historian dies at 70. ‘We will miss him dearly.’

Prominent Lexington historian, writer, attorney and community leader Foster Ockerman Jr. died on Sunday, according to an obituary.

Ockerman was 70 years old. He was a well-known historian and attorney in Lexington, according to his obituary from Millward Funeral Home. Ockerman was a founding trustee of the Lexington History Museum, Inc., and was president of the museum for six years.

During his tenure as president, Ockerman revived the organization and guided it to the oldest residence in Lexington, the Adam Rankin House, according to his obituary. He was the museum’s chief historian at the the time of his death.

Mayor Linda Gorton called Ockerman a “vocal advocate for the preservation of local history” as well as a special friend and neighbor.

“In 2025 we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Lexington,” Gorton said. “Because of Foster we will celebrate that milestone with a deeper understanding of the history that makes Lexington the wonderful community it is today.”

The Lexington History Museum said it’s extremely saddened by Ockerman’s death and has created a memorial fund to honor Ockerman and his work.

“Words cannot begin to describe my sorrow over losing such a good friend and colleague. Foster was truly one of a kind. He was a capable attorney, an accomplished writer and a spellbinding raconteur.” Jim Dickinson, LexHistory’s board chair, said in a statement.

Dickinson said Ockerman took joy in gathering unique artifacts, some of which dated back to Lexington’s founding.

According to his obituary, Ockerman graduated from Henry Clay High School in 1970. He earned degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1974 and the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1977.

While at UK, he was president of the Moot Court Board. Ockerman worked as an attorney for over 40 years and was chairman of the Kentucky Bar Association sections of Real Property and In House Counsel, according to his obituary.

Jim Gray, a former Lexington mayor and current state transportation secretary, said Ockerman was passionate about Lexington and knew the city’s story better than anyone.

“He worked tirelessly to make sure that history would be recorded and always remembered,” Gray said.

The Office of the Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk said Ockerman was their best resource for court history.

“We called upon him many times for his wealth of knowledge regarding the many historical records we still maintain in the Circuit Court Building,” said the clerk’s office in a Facebook post. “Foster is irreplaceable and we will miss him dearly.”