Celebrated Courier-Journal photojournalist Bill Luster photographed presidents in the White House, sports legends on the court and in the ring, miners and farmers at work, disaster survivors in shock, and partying movie stars and galloping thoroughbreds at more than 50 Kentucky Derbies. Though he never topped 4’11,’’ Bill was a towering figure in American photojournalism. His legacy includes two team Pulitzer Prizes – 1976 for Louisville’s court-ordered desegregation busing turmoil and 1989 for a deadly Carrollton bus crash – three generations of photographers whom he mentored, and a nationally-recognized body of work that combines a virtuoso’s technical skills and a storyteller’s human touch. Bill succumbed to multiple chronic health conditions on May 29, 2025, at his Louisville home. He was 80, beloved for his professional generosity, indulged for his mischievous pranks, and respected for his images and work ethic.
Charles William Luster was born on Nov. 8, 1944, in Glasgow, to Betty and Earl Luster, who soon divorced. Bill and his wife of 47 years, Linda, named their son Joseph, for Joe T. Hall, Bill’s stepfather, and Linda’s father, Joseph Shearer. After attending Western Kentucky State College (now Western Kentucky University, which named him Visual Journalist of the Year in 2000), Bill spent five years at The Glasgow Daily Times before joining the C-J in 1969. He retired in 2011 after a stint as Director of Photography. In the early ‘90s, Bill was president of the National Press Photographers Association, which honored him with the Joseph Costa Award for innovative leadership and the Joseph Sprague Award for lifetime achievement and dedication to the craft of photojournalism. Named Kentucky Photographer of the Year five times, he was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2012.
In addition to Linda, of Louisville, and Joseph, of Charleston, S.C., daughter-in-law Lauren Allen-Luster and grandchildren Theo and Ellie survive. “Facetiming with them was his favorite activity,’’ Linda said.
A funeral following cremation is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Highland Baptist Church, 1101 Cherokee Road. The family suggests memorial donations to the University of Louisville Photographic Archives or Hospice of Norton Brownsboro Hospital.
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