In Memory of

John

Downing

Fripp

Obituary for John Downing Fripp

It is with deep sadness, we announce the passing of John Downing Fripp, aged 101 years from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Born in Ottawa Feb 11, 1921, he passed in his sleep from natural causes March 24, 2022 at the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre. The son of Herbert Downing Fripp and Nora C Thompson, John was the older sibling to Ian and Shaun. He was the father of five children: Jay, David, Kim, Robert and Renee. He is survived by his much beloved wife of 60 years, Lizabeth. John was predeceased by his brother Ian, his first wife Virginia Henline-Fripp, his sons Jay and David, and his grandson Isaac Mills. He leaves a large loving family including 23 grand and great grandchildren, to whom he was a true inspiration and hero. We would like to thank the staff at the Colonel By Retirement Residence for the exceptional care that John received over the past four years and for the compassionate palliative care extended at the Perley Centre over the past several weeks. John was loved by many, including his family and many members of the community, having touched so many lives around Ottawa and beyond. He was an avid skier for most of his life, racing and winning many awards throughout a storied career. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force training Ski Troopers during WW2 even though his first dream was to be a pilot; color blindness derailing that option. He was the First Canadian to direct a Ski School at Mont Tremblant when directors were usually of Austrian decent and even had a downhill ski trail named after him (Fripp). He was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 1988 to acknowledge all of his successes he had on the slopes. Off the slopes, Johnny played professional football for the Canadian Football League at a time when leather helmets were still used (1941-47). He was a local favorite for the Ottawa Trojans, he came to play with the Rough Riders (currently known as the Red Blacks) further cementing his place in the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. He successfully ran the family insurance business, H. D. Fripp & Son Ltd., for 40 years. John and his wife traveled frequently, often spending months overseas in New Zealand and Europe. He will be remembered as a fun loving, charismatic and charming individual, a loving husband, father and grandfather, who was always happy to share a chat, a beer and a chuckle. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date. Keep watching this site for details on the Celebration of Life.