MARTIN COUNTY — Friends and colleagues of Alice Luckhardt said the local historian and author left behind a “wealth of knowledge” in her work to preserve early Stuart’s past for present and future residents.

Luckhardt, who died Sunday at 72, was known for her work with the Stuart Heritage Museum and hundreds of published essays chronicling the founding and growth of Martin County.

“She was just a walking encyclopedia of Martin County history,” said Barbara Osborn, friend and fellow local historian. “She was just very unselfish in all of her knowledge.”

Luckhardt authored four books on Stuart including a 2016 pictorial for the Images of America series which can be found at the Stuart Heritage Museum, of which she was an executive committee member.

Many of the hundreds of “Historical Vignettes” she wrote through research with her husband and research partner, Greg Luckhardt, spanre compiled on its website.

Fellow celebrated, local historian and author Sandra Thurlow said Luckhardt was integral in the development of the museum’s website.

Although Thurlow said the hundreds of “Historical Vignettes” were “quite a contribution in itself,” she said it was, “because of Alice that website is great.”

Thurlow said Luckhardt was instrumental in the designation of a gazebo and placement of a plaque commemorating WWII veteran and local athlete Forest K. “Fergie” Ferguson by the Courthouse Cultural Center in downtown Stuart.

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Thurlow said Luckhardt’s work was “certainly a win for local history.”

“No other county has anything like this,” she said.

Osborn said Alice Luckhardt, her husband, Greg, along with Thurlow were “basically the most important historians in Martin County.”

In 2016 Luckhardt was presented the “Women in Americspann History” award by the local Halpatiokee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for her work.

Julie Preast is a historian in the Rio area of Jensen Beach and said she regularly worked with Luckhardt as a source for research on historical monuments and buildings.

“She was so prolific in her work,” Preast said. “She was always educating, always teaching, always sharing.”

Luckhardt moved to the area from the Miami area in the 1970s to begin her tespanching cspanreer spant Stuspanrt Middle School where she met her future husband, Greg Luckhardt, who was a science teacher at the school, said Osborn.

Osborn said she knew Luckhardt for roughly 10 years and became friends during her time as a tour guide at Captain Henry Sewall’s House at Indian RiverSide Park.

“Alice would come every week,” Osborn said. “She would come and just be our cheerleader.”

Luckhardt died Sunday from complications of a roughly six-month long bout with cancer, Osborn said.

A public celebration of life will be held on a date to be determined in January at the historic All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Jensen Beach.

Osborn said Luckhardt’s husband, Greg Luckhardt, asked anyone wishing to make  donations of any kind to contribute to the Stuspanrt Heritspange Museum.