Delbert Walter Fry was born on October 22, 1946, in Findlay, Ohio, the third son of Delbert Eugene Fry and Ruth Aileen DeWeese Fry. He grew up in the Bloomdale, Ohio, area and graduated from Elmwood High School in 1964. After joining the Air Force he served in Viet Nam. Upon his return he married Jane Spitler and treasured their daughter Brandee although they later divorced.
Delbert attended Bowling Green State University where he met and married Nancy Elizabeth Harrer. He graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree specializing in Physical Education and began teaching and coaching in numerous Ohio schools. He had a lifelong passion for athletics, especially football and basketball. Delbert received his Masters of Arts degree from BGSU in Guidance and Counseling. After moving to North Dakota he was proud of the Peer Counseling program which he instituted at Turtle Mountain High School where he also coached.
Delbert served as a principal in Belfield and superintendent in Selfridge and Powers Lake before returning to counseling and teaching in Mandaree. He passed there on July 12, 2021, respected by many children who called him “Grandpa”. He loved to tell stories with a life lesson and to encourage young people to excel at whatever they attempted. He loved learning and reading about history and the wild country. He was noted for taking family and friends on back country camping trips, with the thrill of seeing animals in the wild.
Delbert is survived by his wife Nancy of Minot; daughter Brandee Charters of Dayton, Ohio; son Daryl (Anne with Ava and Saoirse) of Minot; son Daniel (Ashly) of Livingston, Montana; son Don (Kristi with Kaycee, Caleb, and Gavin) of Mandan; daughter Karin (Chris with Avery and Danielle) Malenius of Fairbanks, Alaska; son Douglas (Betina with Carter and Elsie) of Minot; son Dwayne (Jennifer with Jaxon, Jacob, and Jasper) of Carleton, Minnesota; daughter Kristin (Travis with Abigail, Paden, Allison, and Annabel) of New Salem; daughter Kindrea (with Mikayla, Samantha, and Gabriella) of Minot; son Darron of Chicago, Illinois; son Duston of Minot; son Dallas (Jessica with Elizabeth) of Bismarck; daughter Kerstan (George with Adeline and Ellis) of Kaiserslautern, Germany; and daughter Katelin of Kaiserslautern, Germany. He is also survived by his brother Daryl (Cherie) Fry of Freecastle, Pennsylvania; sister Elaine (Mitchell) Bennett of Bloomdale, Ohio; sister Edith (Charles) Fry-Scsavnicki of Toledo, Ohio; sister-in-law Marlene Fry of Fostoria, Ohio, cousin Bruce Bibbee of West Mill Grove, Ohio and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Gene and Aileen, stepmother Alice Kessler Fry, and brothers David and Daniel.