Rhys Damien Berger

Rhys Berger ObituaryVisit the Cypress-Fairbanks Funeral Home website to view the full obituary.Elizabeth Victoria Berger (later changed to Rhys Damien Avery Berger) was tragically and unexpectedly taken too soon from us on March 8, 2026, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.Born June 30, 1995, in Houston, Texas, the dearly-loved daughter of Bill and Melanie Berger grew up in Cypress and Jersey Village. Elizabeth is survived by her parents; her brothers Paul Berger (Kacie) and Rob "RJ"; paternal grandparents Paul Sr. and Christie Berger; maternal grandparents Steve and Eva Lynn Dunn; aunts and uncles Doug Chapman (Barb), Catharina Chapman, James Berger (Cynthia); and cousins Morgan Henneman (Jeff), Casey Chapman, Daniel Berger (Cameron), Kelly Berger, and Deborah Berger; among others. She loved each family member, but she held a special place in her heart for her two brothers.Elizabeth, educated at home, developed interests ranging from being a mom of bunches of children, to Helen Keller and sign language, to other nations and languages (Spanish, ASL, Hebrew, German), to memorizing poetry, to ancient and medieval history, to creative pursuits ~ painting, sewing, writing her unfinished novel, and charcoal and ink drawing. Upon receiving a heart-shaped puzzle, she went on to research, memorize, and intricately draw the human heart over and over again for months.Never one to stop learning, Elizabeth read everything she could find (often reading 5-7 books at a time) including her beloved bible, but her favorites remained Nancy Drew books, classic literature, Cold Sassy Tree, The Robe, Don Quixote, Les Misérables, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and even The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to name a few. She easily read hundreds of books yearly throughout her life; the librarians knew us by name.Outside of school, Elizabeth enjoyed Daisy Scouts, gymnastics, art class, YWISE (Young Women in Search of Excellence), volunteering at the local library and at VBS, Grand Squares dancing with teens (earning a scholarship), HFAC (Houston Family Arts Center) theatre classes and performing, babysitting, and attending church, which instilled in her a desire for all to enjoy God as she did. She dabbled in softball, basketball, and volleyball, but we found her to be a competitive Dutch Blitz and Monopoly player. Careers researched were linguist/translator, actor, cruise chef, EMT, Coast Guard recruit, and even heart surgeon; as an adult she dreamed of going abroad...especially to Germany. She longed to find a way to help others.After graduating high school in 2013, Elizabeth worked at the library, even going on a cruise with the library staff, then briefly attended Texas State University, finally choosing to pursue other paths of interest. She remained in San Marcos and enjoyed equipment operation at H-E-B's warehouse. She chose friends carefully and loved them deeply, and in 2020 she welcomed RJ as a third roommate. Free time was spent working out, hiking, biking, camping at the beach, river kayaking, and converting her van into a living space. In recent years, she began attending Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, Texas, where her faith was renewed and she grew closer to God, finally converting to Judaism. This became her guide for life and helped her become a better person; she remained faithful in her commitment to Judaism.The loss of Elizabeth's sweet, curious, quirky spirit leaves a hole in our hearts, but we take comfort trusting that she is with our Maker.A celebration of her life is to be held on March 19, 2026 at Cypress Fairbanks Funeral Home for 3:00PM with a reception to follow.To honor Elizabeth the family encourages everyone to wear something in her favorite colors ~ green, blue, and/or purple.Read The Full ObituaryTo plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.