Amarah Riley

Amarah S’re Alexandra Riley lived with an artist’s eye and a generous spirit. Raised in West Seattle, she found joy in creative expression from a young age and turned that passion into a fledgling career as a professional makeup artist. Friends and family remember her for a contagious laugh, a gift for making people feel beautiful, and an ease in front of the camera that led her to build an online presence to teach and inspire others.

In the months before her death, Amarah had just moved into her own place in Kent and established a small professional makeup studio there. Those close to her said she loved all things artistic — from makeup and photography to drawing and styling — and that she took pride in helping friends and clients feel more confident. Her grandmother recalled how proud she was of Amarah’s independence and the small business she was creating for herself.

Family was central to Amarah’s life. She is remembered by relatives who described her as full of life, affectionate, and ambitious. Her grandfather, Dale Riley, and other family members have kept her memory present in the community in quiet, personal ways. In public remembrances and appeals for justice, relatives emphasized that Amarah was an innocent young woman building toward a future she had worked for and deserved.

Although public records and news accounts document the tragic circumstances of her death on September 19, 2018, those who knew Amarah chiefly recall her creativity, her talent with makeup and photography, and the warmth she brought to everyday moments. Her family’s efforts to honor her memory — including memorials in the neighborhood she frequented — reflect a desire to keep alive the person she was rather than the way her life ended.

Amarah’s story resonates as a reminder of a young life with ambitions and gifts cut far too short. While many public details focus on the unanswered questions surrounding her death, the portrait left by family and friends is of a caring, artistic young woman who was building a life she loved and wanted to share with others. Her memory lives on in the people she made smile, the looks she created, and the small business she nurtured with care.