There are lives that move through a community the way a clear brook traces its course through a forest, quiet at times, powerful at others, but always shaping the place it touches. John D. Northrup lived such a life here in Ellicottville, and at Holiday Valley, where his roots ran as deep as the trees on our surrounding hillsides.
Born to G. Wilbur “Doc” and Edna Zwilling Northrup, John carried forward a family legacy woven into the very foundation of Holiday Valley. Doc and Edna sparked the dream that became this mountain destination, and John spent nearly five decades safeguarding and guiding that dream with steady purpose. As he once shared, Holiday Valley was in his DNA. It was his link to his parents, his community, and the land that shaped him.
John passed away at home at age 78 on December 5, 2025, surrounded by the family he cherished. It just so happened that it was the same date as the beginning of the 2025-26 season at Holiday Valley, a beautiful, sunny winter day. The kind of day that John would have loved. After a several-year battle with cancer, his journey has come to rest, but the imprint of his life remains visible here every day. It’s in the laughter of families on the slopes, and in the enduring warmth of the Valley he helped nurture.
John’s work was a form of devotion. He founded JD Northrup Construction in 1974, a venture that reflected his drive, resilience, and creativity. His entrepreneurial spirit shaped landmarks across Ellicottville. Alpine Meadows, Wildflower, SnowPine, Fox Ridge, and later Village Place.
He served Holiday Valley’s Board of Directors starting in 1978, became the Vice President of the Board in 2000, and was elected Chairman in 2019. Through seasons of challenge and seasons of growth, John listened, guided, and encouraged with good, practical common sense. He saw the resort not merely as a place, but as a living community, one that thrived through stewardship and heart. “The Board is my family,” he said, and he meant it with the sincerity of a man who valued connection above acclaim.
John’s greatest pride, even amid an array of professional accomplishments, was his family: his children Jake, Karl, and Rachel, and his grandchildren Ande, Riley, Karle, Clinton, Austyn, Saylor, Easton, and Seely. Their lives, intertwined with Ellicottville, reflect the lasting bonds John cultivated.
He shared 35 years of adventure with his wife Anne. It was a partnership defined by travel, discovery, and generosity. Together they flew across continents, journeying through Alaska and Australia, but always returning to Ellicottville, the place they both cherished.
Service was woven through John’s life as surely as trails cross the hills of the resort he helped build. He spent 15 years on the Ellicottville School Board and contributed to the Chamber of Commerce, the Town Board, and the preservation of St. John’s Episcopal Church. He managed Sunset Hill Cemetery for nearly three decades, honoring history and heritage with quiet dedication.
John lived by the principles he carried in his pocket on a Scout coin, the values of loyalty, kindness, and service. He gave generously, including the land upon which the Ellicottville Memorial Library stands today. His involvement in local organizations, from the Ellicottville Fire Department to veterans’ associations to aviation groups, spoke to a life engaged with community and country.
He loved the simple truths of outdoor life: skiing fresh powder, hiking wooded paths, casting a fishing line into calm water, walking a golf course with friends. In these pursuits, he found the joy of being fully present in the world.
And perhaps that is how many will remember him: not only as a leader, a builder, or a visionary, but as a man who embraced the fullness of life. Who loved a good gathering. Who valued friendship. Who stepped forward whenever his community needed him.
At Holiday Valley, we feel John's presence in ways both seen and unseen. In the continued growth of the resort that he helped guide. In the family spirit he championed. In the generations who will ski, ride, explore, and make memories because of the foundation his family helped establish.
His life reminds us that it is not length of life but depth of life that matters. John lived deeply! He did so through work, through service, through love, and through the enduring connection to the Holiday Valley community that meant so much to him.
Today we honor him with gratitude. We remember him with warmth. And we continue forward, inspired by the trails he cleared for all who follow.
From all of us at Holiday Valley, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Northrup family. John’s legacy endures in every season on this mountain that he loved so much.
