Amayah I. Charles

Amayah Ivori Charles, daughter of Allison Makell and David Charles, was born at 8:34pm on September 11, 2000, at University of Maryland hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Amayah departed from this life on October 14, 2019, after a tragic accident.

Amayah was a faithful friend, a loving and devoted daughter, a committed big sister, and an excellent student. At an early age, Amayah attended Arlington Elementary school in West Baltimore. She matriculated on to KIPP Ujima Village Academy, where she demonstrated leadership inside and outside of the classroom, including maintaining academic excellence while being a member of the cheerleading squad – the Umoja Diamonds.

Amayah went on to graduate from Mercy High school in 2018, where she maintained a stellar GPA while taking honors courses and actively getting involved in her school community including; running track, singing in the choir and being a member of the student government. Amayah was president of her junior class at Mercy and was chapter secretary of the National Honor Society. She belonged to the school’s steering and prom committees and the activities council, the International Club, the Social Justice Society and the environmental club, and was a four-year member of the Madrigals. Amayah became one of Mercy’s best-known students. She also participated in fashion shows at area charities and social organizations. Amayah also worked after school and on weekends at Chipotle Mexican Grill in Towson, for over two years.

Amayah received college acceptances from over ten institutions, and ultimately selected to attend Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she was honored to receive full academic scholarship. She was directly admitted into the nursing program and was pursuing her dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse. This past summer, Amayah worked as a CTC alumni coach at KIPP, mentoring and guiding rising 12th graders as they prepared for their own college application journeys. Amayah was also a nursing volunteer at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center’s labor and delivery unit. Not only was Amayah an academically talented student, but she had exceptional personal qualities. She was beautiful light in this world, full of charisma and showmanship. Amayah loved modeling and demonstrating her creativity through fashion. So much so that she recently became a member of the Models of Distinction. Amayah graced the runway of the “Truth” fashion show, “Creep” fashion show, and the “Fashion Statement” fashion show. Amayah was so passionate, vibrant, and determined to succeed in anything she put her mind to. She loved to sing, travel, have fun with friends and she loved helping people.

Amayah was always such a loving big sister to DJ, Ali, Auston and Ava. When she watched them, she was the boss and she made sure they knew it. Family was very important to her, and while she was very active at school and with extracurricular activities, Amayah also sacrificed to help look after her brothers and sister. Amayah was a rock to her mother Allison, and she was “Daddy’s little girl” to her father David. In Allison’s eyes, having Amayah at a young age, and raising her to be an intelligent, beautiful, creative and ambitious young woman is her greatest joy.

Amayah was a member of Fountain Baptist Church where she had been taken by her grandmother, Gretchen Makell, who preceded her in death. Amayah later accepted the Lord and was baptized at Fountain Baptist. We know heaven gained an angel.

Amayah leaves to cherish her memory: mother, Allison R. Makell; father, David Charles; three brothers, David Charles Jr., Ali Charles and Auston Askew; a sister, Ava Askew; grandmother, Cheryl Charles, all of Baltimore; and her grandfather, David T. Charles of Trinidad.