Bernie Delia — Past President of Dignity Washington, Dies

It is with great sadness that the president, officers, and Board of Directors of Dignity Washington announce the death of long-term member and former DW President (1990–1993), Bernie Delia, on Friday, June 21st, at his home at age 68.

Bernie was a member of Dignity Washington for more than 35 years and regularly attended our weekly Masses. He was a founding member and a dedicated leader of the Washington, DC Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes most DC LGBTQ Pride events, and served most recently as co-chair of World Pride 2025, and international event that DC will host next June.

Bernie came from New Jersey and attended Mount St Mary’s University for both his undergraduate and for his JD degrees. He was a highly respected attorney at the United States Department of Justice where he served as the Assistant United States Attorney until his retirement in 2019. Previously, with the Clinton Administration, he served as Deputy Director, Office of Presidential Personnel, in the Executive Office of the President.

Bernie was predeceased by his long-time partner Doug Sheorn in 2006.

“It is with great sadness that the Capital Pride Alliance mourns the passing of Bernie Delia,” a statement from the Alliance says. “We will always reflect on his life and legacy as a champion, activist, survivor, mentor, friend, leader, and a true inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community.”

The statement added that — in addition to serving six years as the Capital Pride Alliance Board President — Bernie served for several years as president of Dignity Washington, the local LGBTQ Catholic organization, where he helped create “an environment for spiritual enrichment during the height of the AIDS epidemic.”

“He also had a distinguished legal career, serving as one of the first openly gay appointees at the US Department of Justice and later as an appellate attorney,” the statement reads.
Bernie’s LinkedIn page shows that he worked at the US Department of Justice for 26 years, serving as:

• Assistant US Attorney from 2001 to 2019. Associate Deputy Attorney General from 1997 to 2001 as Associate Deputy Attorney General.
• Senior Counsel to the Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys from 1994 to 1997, helping to provide executive and administrative support for 93 US attorneys located throughout the country.
• Deputy Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel from January-June 1993 during the administration of President Bill Clinton, wherein he was part of the White House staff.
• Legal Editor for the Bureau of National Affairs from 1983-1993 publishing news reports on legal issues, from 1983-1993.

In addition, the Alliance statement describes Bernie as “an avid runner who served as the coordinator of the DC Front Runners and Stonewall Kickball LGBTQ sports groups” where “he understood the value, purpose, and the urgency of the LGBTQ+ community to work together and support one another,” adding “He poured his soul into our journey toward World Pride, which was a goal of his from the start of his involvement with Capital Pride.”  The statement further indicated that “Bernie will continue to guide us forward to ensure we meet this important milestone as we gather with the world to be visible, heard, and authentic. We love you, Bernie!”

In a statement posted on social media, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said she and her administration were “heartbroken” over the news of Delia’s passing indicating that “Bernie leaves behind an incredible legacy in our city and country — through his life and advocacy, he helped pave a path for LGBTQIA+ residents in our city and within the federal government to live and work openly and proudly,” the mayor says in her statement.

“He helped transform Capital Pride into one of the largest and most inclusive Pride celebrations in the nation — a true reflection and representation of our people and values,” the statement says. “This is the DC that Bernie helped build and that he leaves behind.”

“All of the hopes and dreams that we had about what Pride could be and what CPA could do, are things that Bernie actualized over the last many years and in his work for next year,” said Vincent Slatt, Rainbow History Project’s director of archiving in a statement. “He wasn’t the first one to say it, but he always reminded everyone: ‘we make each Pride special because, for someone, it is their first Pride, and they’ll remember it always.’ Bernie lived that ideal each and every year. WorldPride 2025 will be a testament to his efforts and his legacy will live on — it will be someone’s first Pride. We’ll try to make Bernie proud of us.”

Bernie’s oral history interview is part of the Rainbow History Project Archives. You can access it at rainbowhistory.org.

Ashley Smith, the Capital Pride Alliance president, said he and other Capital Pride officials became concerned when Bernie did not respond to their routine calls or messages. Smith said he called DC police to arrange for a welfare check on him at his house in Northwest DC on Friday, June 21. He said police accompanied him to Bernie’s house and police entered the house and found him unconscious.

An ambulance was called and attempts to resuscitate Bernie were unsuccessful. A definitive cause of death has not been determined other than natural causes. “He had a heart attack last year, so he had been recovering from that, but he seemed to have been doing in fairly good order,” Smith told the Blade.

Smith said the emergency medical technicians who arrived at the scene and who declared Bernie deceased said, “it looked like it probably had to do with the previous heart condition that he already had, and that it’s more than likely what it came from,” Smith said in referring to Bernie’s passing. “He died peacefully at home,” Smith added.

Smith and a Dignity Washington spokesperson Jake Hudson indicated that Bernie’s two sisters, one from Baltimore and the other from Charlotte, NC, were in DC working on funeral arrangements. Both also indicated that Capital Pride and Dignity Washington plan to work with Bernie’s sisters on developing plans for a possible Catholic Mass in his honor as well as a celebration of life that could take place in DC in August or September.

Capital Pride was also working with the sisters to create a memorial fund in Bernie’s honor to raise money for the causes and programs that Bernie supported over the course of his many years as an activist. “It’s still being formulated” and “… will be forthcoming when we get ready to do the celebration of life ceremony and everything else,” Smith said.

According to Smith, the sisters, in consultation with Joseph Gawler’s and Sons funeral home in Northwest DC were making arrangements for a cremation rather than a burial.