Rosalind Ellingsworth

Rosalind Kay Young-Ellingsworth, 83, former Kansas City Star/Times reporter, died Feb. 25, 2026, peacefully at her home.

Her trailblazing career began in 1964 as one of the first full-time female reporters at the Times/Star. Among her roles was being the only female reporter on the police beat.

In 1973, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she would remain for the duration of her life. She became a world-renowned authority on aviation regulation, working first at Aviation Week and Space Technology, then serving as the first female editor of McGraw Hill's Aviation Daily, before eventually joining the U.S. Department of Transportation.

As one of the aviation industry's leading personalities, she was invited to many events, like the record-breaking Pan Am 747 Clipper fastest commercial flight round the world and the first Space Shuttle launches. A lead negotiator for DOT, she helped establish air rights with over 50 nations, including the UK, France, Japan, Brazil, and China.

She is survived by a son, Craighton; a granddaughter, Isabella; and many more family, friends and colleagues from around the country.