Bruce Lunsford, Kentucky politician and businessman, dies at 78

Bruce Lunsford, who founded Fortune 500 healthcare company Vencor, served as Gov. John Y. Brown Jr.’s commerce secretary and ran unsuccessfully twice for governor of Kentucky and once for U.S. Senate, died Sept. 5 in Louisville. He was 78.

“Bruce was a visionary,” said former House speaker and attorney general Greg Stumbo, who ran for lieutenant governor on Lunsford’s 2007 bid for governor. 

“He was a businessman, very ambitious. You couldn’t find anyone to say anything bad about him. It’s a shame he didn’t get to be governor.”

Former Secretary of State John Y. Brown III wrote on Facebook that Lunsford was “one of Kentucky’s most dynamic entrepreneurs and civic leaders.”

Lunsford grew up on a small farm in Piner in Kenton County.  He was  a star athlete in basketball and baseball at Simon Kenton High School. 

After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1969 with a political science degree and a minor in accounting, he worked for a Cincinnati accounting firm. He graduated from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University in 1974 in the top 10 percent of his class. He served in the National Guard for nearly six years.

 In 1985, Lunsford and two other partners founded Vencor. The company originally was called Vencare. During Lunsford’s tenure, the company hired more than 65,000 people in 45 states. The company split into two companies in 1998 –Ventas, a real estate investment trust and Vencor, which was the healthcare company.

Lunford resigned as CEO of both companies in 1999 and stayed on as chair of Ventas until 2003. Vencor filed for bankruptcy protection in 1999 because of federal cuts in Medicare.  It was renamed Kindred in 2001.

Besides the health care business, Lunsford advised other businesses through Lunsford Capital. He also became involved in thoroughbred horse racing and producing movies.

Lunsford held several roles in Gov. Brown’s administration – treasurer of the state Democratic party during the campaign, deputy development secretary and commerce secretary. 

He ran for governor in 2003 and 2007 but did not win. He unsuccessfully challenged Republican Mitch McConnell for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Lunsford also served on the board of trustees of the University of Kentucky, Bellarmine University and Centre College.  He helped create the W. Bruce Lunsford Academy for Law, Business and Technology at NKU Chase College of Law and the Lunsford Scholars Program at UK. 

On its Facebook page, NKU said Lunsford was “an extraordinary friend to our university.

“His generosity and vision created opportunities for generations of students through the W. Bruce Lunsford Academy for Law, Business and Technology. His legacy will live on through the Academy, the scholars who carry his name and the many lives transformed by his commitment to education.”

Visitation will be at Ratterman’s, 3711 Lexington Road in Louisville, on September 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Funeral services will be at Second Presbyterian Church, 3701 Old Brownsboro Road, in Louisville on September 21 at 11 a.m., with visitation preceding the funeral at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be private.