Obituary of John A. Thorpe

Stony Creek: Johnny Thorpe, a celebrated figure among trappers and die-hard outdoorsman, passed away at his home in Stony Creek, New York on October 27, 2015. His death coincided with the sixth super moon of the year with the fifth being the ultra-rare “blood moon”. Legendary trapper, seasoned treasure hunter, and master woodcarver are just some some of the titles Johnny Thorpe earned in his long and colorful life. He was also an accomplished writer, with hundreds of outdoor articles to his credit, written over the course of half a century. He published his memoir, “50 Years A Trapper & Treasure Hunter” in 1995 and it has remained in print to the present, a testament to Thorpe’s storytelling talent. Thorpe’s status as an elder statesman of trapping was established long ago. He was inducted into the National Trapper’s Hall of Fame in 1995, and was known as an articulate advocate of the outdoor lifestyle. He wielded a keen pen, and was sought after as a writer right up to his last published articles for Trapper’s World, just a few months before his death. He was also an accomplished and prolific woodcarver, and produced thousands of totem poles, wooden figures, and artwork. An avid outdoorsman, Johnny was living in a logging camp making more money trapping muskrats than grown men were making in defense plants – at the age of 15. Thorpe was lured to the Adirondacks by tales that spoke to his wilderness soul. After working as a wrangler at the popular dude ranches, Johnny became a farrier when he found he could make more money shoeing horses than riding rodeos. He was recently honored as an Adirondack Cowboy at an awards ceremony in Lake Luzerne in 2014 Johnny met his first wife, Patricia Winch, at the Rocky Ridge Ranch while she was a guest and he was working as a cowboy. After a courtship they settled in Lake Luzerne, eventually having six children. Johnny is survived by his sons Jim and Bill Thorpe, his daughters Maryellen, Holly and Carolynn, and 7 grandchildren, Keturah Thorpe, Miranda, Mallory, and Marcus Fariello, Madeleine Thorpe and Maxine Reeve, and Jonah Thorpe; and his second wife, Patti Woods. At Johnny’s request there will be no calling hours scheduled. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later date next year. A future date will be posted at www.JohnnyThorpe.com