Gorman King Jr.  Born December 17, 1952, Valley City, ND.  Died September 5, 2015, Bethesda, MD.    Obituary from Inforum.com:

KingGormanJrGorman King Jr. charted a course in life with interrelated destinations involving law, business, public policy and politics. He died Saturday September 5, 2015 at age 62.

Gorman was a longtime Fargo resident, where he practiced law and later was active in real estate development and investment.

Regardless of where he lived, Gorman always considered North Dakota as his home. He grew up in Valley City, where he was born Dec. 17, 1952. He cherished his hometown for its quiet charms, including the Sheyenne River and its picturesque bridges.

From his parents, Gorman inherited a devotion to the Democratic-NPL Party. Gorman grew up experiencing politics as vital. He was a friend and supporter of leaders including Sen. Quentin Burdick, Sen. Byron Dorgan as well as governors Bill Guy, Art Link and George Sinner.

A high school summer spent studying at the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire would prove pivotal by inspiring him to work harder at his studies and to attend college in the east. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Tufts University, where he studied liberal arts and graduated in 1975.

Once, when asked what career prospects studying literature would offer, Gorman replied, “I’ll enjoy life more.” He had a wry sense of humor and a knack for enlisting others in his causes. His childhood friends, who remained lifelong friends, called him “Foreman Gorman.”

Political activism – he protested against the Vietnam War in Boston – and a stint working at a coal company ultimately led him to study law, which he saw as a way to counter the imbalance between the mighty and the meek.

Law might also have been in his blood. His father, Gorman King Sr., was raised above his father’s law office in Park River, N.D.

After graduating from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1979, Gorman worked briefly for law firms in Minneapolis and Grand Forks before opening a law office in Fargo in 1982.

Early in Gorman’s legal practice he focused on medical product liability. Most of his cases involved representing women harmed by an intrauterine birth-control device called the Dalkon Shield, which was removed from the market in 1974.

Because of the specialized medical evidence central to the litigation, Gorman decided to increase his knowledge by earning a master’s of public health from Harvard University in 1984.

He filed numerous lawsuits in North Dakota against the Dalkon Shield’s manufacturer, which sought bankruptcy protection when facing a storm of litigation. His dedication to his clients and mastery of the issues resulted in his being named to a five-member claimants committee representing more than 300,000 victims – then one of the nation’s biggest product liability cases, resulting in a $3.1 billion settlement.

Over time, Gorman’s enjoyment of the entrepreneurial aspect of running his own legal practice led him to business, following both his late father, who was a serial entrepreneur, and his mother, who sold real estate.

He was a founder and the chairman of the Dakota Real Estate Investment Trust, based in Fargo. He also was president of ProviDent, a managed care dental health services company. He was the principal of Old Orchard Partners, the developer of the $16 million One Oak Place, a “55 and better” community in Fargo, among other multi-family housing projects.

A voracious newspaper reader – Gorman often carried a satchel stuffed with newspapers, books and magazines to delve into during spare moments – he was publisher of the Hillsboro Banner, North Dakota’s oldest newspaper, from 1999 to 2005. More whimsically, in partnership with lifelong friend Stan Johnson, Gorman launched Luna Coffee in 1993, possibly Fargo’s first coffee shop, a business they later sold.

Politics remained a passion throughout his life. He was a confidante for his lifelong friend Earl Pomeroy, who served nine terms in the U.S. House. He served as Sen. Kent Conrad’s chief counsel from 1986 to 1989. In fact, it was while working for Conrad in Washington that Gorman met his wife, the former Susan Lenaburg, also a Valley City native, whom he married on Sept. 30, 1989.

Gorman was a member of the North Dakota Health Council in the 1980s. He served in the 1990s as a member of the Democratic National Committee for North Dakota. He was the Democratic candidate for North Dakota insurance commissioner in 2000. Although an ardent Democrat, Gorman never allowed partisanship to interfere with friendship, and counted many Republicans among his friends.

He enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family, golfing and visiting with friends, and telling anyone who would listen the virtues and opportunities to be found in North Dakota.

He is survived by his wife, Susan, Bethesda, MD; daughter Ingrid and son August; his mother, Marjorie “Chris” Knox of Fargo; sisters Von King and Mia King, both of Fargo, and Darcy King-Leatham (Dwight), Chevy Chase, MD; brother Darren King, Bismarck; nieces, nephews, and many cousins.

Memorial receptions will be held in Washington, D.C., and Fargo at a later date.

Memorials preferred to the ND Democratic-NPL Party, Bismarck, ND; or Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) Hospice, Rockville, Maryland.