Louisville: Officials say Bernard Trager, the founder and chairman of Republic Bancorp Inc., has died. He was 83.

Chief marketing officer ­Michael Sadofsky said Trager died Friday in Louisville after an extended illness.

The company started in 1977 after Trager acquired a more than 80-year-old bank in Shelby County, and Republic Bank and Trust Co. was founded in 1982. The bank’s holding company, Republic Bancorp Inc., started in 1998, and Trager remained its chairman until his death.

The holding company operates branches in Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Tennessee and Ohio.

Trager’s funeral was Sunday in Louisville.