Bench & Bar January/February 2026

STEPHEN LEWIS BARKER , 75, of Lexington, passed away at his home on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Steve was born in Lexington on April 6, 1950, son of the late Judge George Edwin Barker and the late Margaret Murray Barker. Steve was a proud graduate of Lafayette High School in 1968 and the University of Tennessee in 1972. Following graduation from UT, he was commissioned in the United States Army and later honorably discharged at the rank of Captain, United States Army Reserve. Steve attended the University of Kentucky College of Law where he was a member of the Kentucky Law Journal and graduated Order of the Coif in 1975. He was a distinguished litigator and mediator, providing trusted coun sel through the law firm of Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney for 50 years. He was honored to serve as president of the Fayette County Bar Association, in the Kentucky Bar Association House of Delegates, as a director of Fayette County Legal Aid for 25 years, as a member of the Kentucky Bar Association Inquiry Commission, and as a member of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Ethics Commission. He was also a co-founder of the international Employment Law Alliance, the most comprehensive global network of employment and labor lawyers. In 2011, Steve was presented with the Henry T. Duncan Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Fayette County Bar Association, for his outstanding contribution to the community. Steve will be remembered most as a devoted spouse, loving father, grand father, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend. His zest for life was contagious. He cherished good meals with friends and family, music of many genres, and annual beach vacations with the grandchildren. He enjoyed trav eling the world with Carolyn (Bond), his wife of 53 years, but he was always happy to return to the beautiful Bluegrass. Steve was a longtime member of Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder. He was a lifelong scholar of history, reading extensively and sharing his passion with his children and grandchildren through family trips to historical sites. Steve was an avid sports fan. He followed his teams with great enthusiasm and was known for his vast knowledge of sports trivia. His legacy continues through his children G. Thomas Barker and Margaret C. Barker, both of whom are also practicing attorneys. The preceding memoriam for Stephen Lewis Barker., is based upon information obtained from Milward Funeral Directors. To access the obituary in its entirety, visit: https://www.milwardfuneral.com/obituaries/ Stephen-L-Barker?obId=45907045

49 bench & bar