Aminah Guy Obituary, Death; – With less than a month remaining until Christmas, Andrea Petifer finds herself preoccupied with a single gift in her bedroom that will remain unopened.
The new pair of pajamas, intended for Petifer’s niece, will not be worn on Christmas morning. Tragically, her niece, 19-year-old Aminah Guy, was killed in a suspected double murder-suicide in Cary last week, abruptly ending a life that had only just begun. “I have never felt so shattered in my entire life,” Petifer expressed on Friday, her voice filled with emotion. “This pain is unlike anything I have ever experienced.”
To learn about Aminah Guy is to discover a young woman who pursued her aspirations with fervor, creating handwritten “goal lists” each semester to share with her family. She was a gifted athlete who enjoyed mentoring children at the Hillsborough Street YMCA, where she worked, and she cherished the time spent with her three cousins, whom she affectionately referred to as her sisters.
“She left a beautiful impact on everyone she encountered, one that was lovely, humorous, and filled with joy and vitality,” Petifer remarked.
‘The world was hers’
Before her life was tragically cut short on November 18, Aminah Guy’s future appeared limitless, according to her aunt. Originally from Santa Monica, California, she had relocated with her mother and twin sister to North Carolina before entering sixth grade, finally close enough to visit her beloved Petifer cousins in Durham regularly.
The five cousins, known as the “five As” due to their names all starting with the same letter, celebrated every holiday together and enjoyed exploring the Triangle during “Camp Petifer” summer breaks at the Petifer residence, as noted by her aunt and cousin. When the Guys moved to Raleigh three years later, it felt like a dream realized.
After graduating from Athens Drive High School, where she excelled in volleyball, track, basketball, and student government, Guy enrolled at N.C. Central University. This choice was particularly fitting, as her sister-cousin, Alana Petifer, had attended the same institution, and Andrea Petifer, her husband, and two other family members were also proud Eagles.
