Jan 7, 2026 By Brad Hundt 4 min read

John Northrop, a onetime co-owner of the Observer-Reporter who deeply cared about and immersed himself in the Washington community, died Monday at UPMC Washington. He was 95.

Even though Northrop’s stewardship of the Observer-Reporter started in 1966 when he took the reins of the newspaper with his brother, William Northrop, his immersion in the newspaper business started long before. Northrop’s grandfather, John L. Stewart, was one of two Washington businessmen who formed the Observer Publishing Company in 1902, publishing the Washington Observer, the morning paper founded in 1871, and the Washington Reporter, the afternoon paper with a history that stretched back to 1808.

Before overseeing newsroom operations at the Observer-Reporter, “he did all the jobs” at the newspaper, according to his son, Tom Northrop, who would also become a publisher of the Observer-Reporter. Northrop sold advertising, wrote about the doings of area school boards and drew editorial cartoons.

“He thought the role of the community newspaper was to keep the public informed, do the little things, go to municipal meetings, the things that make a difference in our community’s life,” Tom Northrop said.

Northrop’s daughter, Peggy Northrop, explained that her father “saw the newspaper as a member of the community.” That extended to having his home number listed in the phone book, and sometimes readers would call to complain about a missing paper or the way something was covered.

“It was servant leadership before anyone talked about that,” Peggy Northrop pointed out.

Along with leading the Observer-Reporter, Northrop was also involved in various charitable and civic organizations in Washington County. He was one of the founding trustees of the Washington County Community Foundation, which was launched with an eye toward keeping charitable dollars in the community. The Northrop Family Fund operates under the umbrella of the Washington County Community Foundation and has lent support to Washington & Jefferson College, the Washington Literacy Council, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and other organizations.

“He was key to the formation of the foundation and of its maintenance,” said Betsie Trew, the former president and CEO of the Washington County Community Foundation. “I had the pleasure of working closely with him while I was with the foundation.”

Trew recalled how articles and free advertising in the Observer-Reporter centering on local nonprofit groups “made a significant difference to those organizations.” The Washington County Community Foundation’s philanthropist of the year award, which Northrop was instrumental in creating, is now called the Northrop Family Excellence Award for Community Philanthropy.

Kathy Sabol, the president of Washington’s Rotary Club, noted that Northrop had been a member of the service organization since 1960. She added, “His service above self as a Rotarian, through his stewardship at the O-R and standing in the newspaper industry, and his and his family’s philanthropic efforts will leave an indelible mark on our community and the world.”

Along with his work in the community and at the Observer-Reporter, Northrop was also being remembered for his personal attributes, which included a dry sense of humor and a warm acceptance of other people. Peggy Northrop recalled how he was eager to talk to others and learn about their lives.

“He always looked for the good in people,” Tom Northrop said.

Peggy Northrop added, “He never told a self-aggrandizing story in his life.”

His interests included sailing and travel, and Northrop was able to visit many spots across the globe, including Russia, China, India, Britain, Sweden and Albania, as well as many places in the United States.

Northrop and his brother retired from the Observer-Reporter in 2002. The Northrop family sold the Observer-Reporter to Wheeling, W.Va.-based Ogden Newspapers in 2018. For the last nine years, Northrop lived at the Friendship Village of South Hills retirement community in Upper St. Clair.

John Leighton Stewart Northrop was born Aug. 19, 1930, in Washington, the son of Cecil Pinckney Northrop and Lucy Donna Stewart. Northrop’s wife, Katharine Rose McCutchan Northrop, died in April.

Aside from Tom Northrop and Peggy Northrop, Northrop is survived by two other children, Katharine Glass and Lucy Corwin; a brother, Willam Northrop; nine grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at the Beinhauer Family Funeral Home on Washington Road in McMurray on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Services will be Sunday at 1 p.m. at Friendship Village.