Helen Munger Berkey, age 69, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, May 19. A lifelong resident of Raleigh, Helen was a graduate of Needham B. Broughton High School and an active member of West Raleigh Presbyterian Church. In addition to her deep and abiding Christian faith, Helen’s greatest joys in life were reading, music and sewing colorful dolls and stuffed animals for people she loved, especially young children who took great delight in receiving them as gifts. When blindness made these hobbies impossible, she continued to find joy in her family and her many friendships.
Helen was generous to a fault and considered performing random acts of kindness to be part of her mission in life. She never left home without an ample supply of crayons, stickers and coloring books tucked in her purse so she could give them to any and all children she might meet.
The family would like to thank her caring West Raleigh Presbyterian community, as well as her loyal friends and the staff at Carillon Assisted Living North Raleigh for their love and support of Helen, particularly over the last few months.
Helen is survived by a husband, William I. Berkey of Zebulon; siblings Katy, David and Bridget Munger of Raleigh/Durham and Mary Munger Taylor of San Diego; nephew, Samuel Jeffers and nieces, Amy Quintard, Katy Traversi, Julia Taylor, Chrissy Taylor and Suzette Feller; grandnieces, Terry Chavez and Addison Jeffers, and grandnephew, Nathaniel Frink; and cousins, D. Clark Smith and Vaughan Long Smith.
She was predeceased by her mother, Helen Hepler Smith; father, Guy E. Munger, Jr.; stepmother, Joan Taylor Munger; and sister, Terry Munger DeSantis.
In accordance with her wishes, Helen’s body has been donated to Duke University School of Medicine to aid future medical professionals in the research of more effective treatments for neurofibromatosis, the disease that eventually took her sight.
A celebration of Helen’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22 at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church, 27 Horne Street, Raleigh.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Helen’s loving spirit by extending a helping hand to someone lonely or in need.
Arrangements by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh.
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