William (Bill) Delmore, a Yale-educated environmental lawyer, accomplished basketball player, renowned psychic, and avid outdoorsman, passed away on May 30 in Minnesota while fishing with his son Shane.
A lifelong advocate for the environment, Delmore dedicated three decades to environmental enforcement in North Dakota. His career included roles such as Chief Judge of the Standing Rock Reservation, Assistant District Attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency of North Dakota, Bismarck City Commissioner, Burleigh County Commissioner, and partner at both Kelsch law firm and his own practice.
Delmore represented numerous clients throughout his career. Notably, he assisted his close friend Jim Laducer of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in purchasing Apple Creek Country Club and founding Turtle Mountain State Bank—the first privately owned Native American bank on tribal lands. In November 2023, he represented Friends of Rail Bridge before the North Dakota Supreme Court to save the Bismarck-Mandan rail bridge.
Known for his intuitive abilities, Delmore was studied extensively by J.B. Rhine's Institute for Parapsychology in the early 1970s. The research yielded "perhaps the most dramatic psi results to be produced by a single subject in the last twenty years." He was re-examined by researchers at the University of Virginia in 2022 who noted that "it is remarkable that participant BD was able to perform well at a novel psi task at a later stage in his life."
Ed Kelly, Ph.D., from UVA School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences stated: "I was the lead investigator for almost all of the published scientific work with Bill Delmore... I can state without reservation that his reputed psychic abilities were genuine... He altered the course of my own life... I am profoundly grateful for the time we spent together."
Delmore believed these abilities exist within everyone and continue after death.
A standout basketball player during high school at St. Mary's Saints in Bismarck, Delmore often joked about being a 'Saint' married to Stephanie Lundberg—a graduate from Bismarck High's Demons—for 43 years. Both contributed significantly to their community.
Born on October 22, 1948, in Yankton, South Dakota, Delmore spent his early years on Pine Ridge Reservation and later reconnected with his Sioux ancestry.
In recent months leading up to his death, Delmore completed several personal milestones including undergoing psychic tests at UVA and spending time with family and friends.
Survived by wife Stephanie; sons Bill (and Cate) Axtman of Pittsburgh and Shane (and Erin) Delmore of Boston; six grandchildren Charlie, Ali, Kristen, Grayson Teague; Estella; he is preceded in death by son Cole Delmore.
A celebration of Bill's life will be held at Sleepy Hollow Theater and Arts Park in Bismarck on Saturday June 15th at 2pm. Contributions can be made to North Dakota MathCounts in lieu of flowers.
___