Amira O'Neill
Age 44 (born 16 Jan 1979)6 Jul 2023
Ypsilanti Township, Michigan (USA)
Stabbed
Amira was stabbed in an apartment. After her killing Ronnie Magbray, 27, a suspect, barricaded himself in a nearby apartment for several hours.
O’Neill grew up in Ann Arbor and lived much of her life in the city, said Alexis O’Neill, 52. But her sibling — the youngest of three — also spent time on “the hippie kind” of communes and co-op living spaces, she said.
“And she spent time some time with her dad out in California, but those were brief compared to the other 38 years lived in Ann Arbor,” Alexis O’Neill said.
Amira O’Neill was sporty as a child, playing baseball and skateboarding. Despite learning disabilities that impacted much of her life, she could pick up languages “through osmosis,” Alexis O’Neill said. Amira O’Neill learned Arabic when she began practicing Islam, simply from being around practitioners.
“I was kind of jealous of it, quite honestly, because I’m a linguist, and it’s a struggle,” Alexis O’Neill said. “I have to work really hard to learn a language, and she picks them up like water.”
Amira O’Neill, who lived in Ann Arbor at the time of her death, was well known in the community for her willingness to help people, her sister said. When someone was in trouble, she would often show up unprompted to help.
“She was really the kind of person who was super generous and would help anybody and was always there for other people,” Alexis O’Neill said. “She loved people.”
Her sibling was always “there for the village,” Alexis O’Neill said. Now, the village is there for them. Her family has seen an outpouring of love and support, she said.
“(Amira) was definitely an Ann Arbor character,” Alexis O’Neill said, “and well-known and well-loved.”
https://obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/annarbor/name/amira-o-neill-obituary?id=52488895
https://everloved.com/life-of/amira-oneill/
