It is with saddened hearts that we announce the passing of Alexey Michael “Lex” Berard, 24, of Shrewsbury, who died by suicide on Thursday, March 20, 2025 after a lifelong battle with mental health issues.

He leaves his devoted parents, Linda A. (Sesnie) and Michael J. Berard, of Shrewsbury; his loving siblings, Alicia M. Berard and her spouse Sean Colwell, of Key West, FL, and William P. Berard, of Shrewsbury; his maternal grandmother, Beverly Sesnie, of Henrietta, NY; his aunts and uncles: Dan, John and Daphne, Larry and Amanda, Pat and Karen, Karen and Rick, and Beverly; his cousins: Tiffany, Nicole, Natalie, Paul, Robbie, Irene, Ethan, and Collin; and his best friends, Wade, Henry, and Andrew, who stood beside him through thick and thin.

Alexey was born in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia, then was adopted by Linda and Mike when he was two years old, and was always proud of his Russian heritage. He was raised in Shrewsbury and attended the Shrewsbury schools, graduating in 2018 from TEC Phoenix Academy in Walpole.

His athleticism came naturally at an early age, from doing backflips into the pool, to state-level gymnastics competitions – Alexey was quite talented, and fearless in many sports.

Lex wasn’t one to shy away from adventure – at 17 years old, he moved to Vail, Colorado to teach skiing, a sport that he excelled in. He then worked as a ranch hand in Hurricane, Utah for some time as well. Most recently, he was training to become an electrician for the last two years.

Lex was one big fiery ball of endless energy and was always on the move. He was an adrenaline junkie to the extreme and was always willing to take a risk.

Not many people were allowed in to see that he had a soft side, and had a big heart. His family was very important to him, despite what he may have expressed at times. His death will not be in vain, as his family would like to use this opportunity to bring awareness to and decrease the stigma around mental health and substance abuse issues.

If you or a loved one are struggling, please know that you are not alone. Please don’t hesitate to call or text the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988, or call the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline at (800) 662-4357.

A sincere thank you is extended to all the healthcare professionals, recovery support staff, and anyone else who helped Alexey or his family through many difficult times. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Alexey’s name to Learn to Cope (https://learn2cope.org/donate/) and/or to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (https://afsp.org/?donate=1).

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the Berard family between 3 – 7 PM on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at the BRITTON-SHREWSBURY FUNERAL HOME, 648 Main Street, Shrewsbury. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 AM on Friday March 28th at St. Mary’s Church, 640 Main Street, Shrewsbury – kindly proceed directly to church, please. Burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery, Shrewsbury.