MANCHESTER, Conn. — Elizabeth Ellis, the longtime publisher of the Journal Inquirer in Connecticut, has died. She was 92.
The award-winning journalist died Monday after leading the newspaper for nearly 50 years, the Journal Inquirer reported.
Mrs. Ellis’ husband, Neil, bought two weekly newspapers, the Rockville Journal and South and East Windsor Inquirer, in 1967. Betty, as she was known, went to work in the circulation departments. The two weeklies eventually merged into the daily Journal Inquirer a year later. Mrs. Ellis became the publication’s assistant publisher in 1970 and rose to publisher in 1973. She oversaw the newspaper’s expansion, growing from coverage of five towns from a base in a garage building to coverage of 18 towns in an industrial building in Manchester.
Before going into news, Mrs. Ellis worked with children with intellectual disabilities. She attended Pembroke College, the women’s college at Brown University, where she majored in philosophy.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Deborah Ellis and Abigail Bellock; and grandchildren.