CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The aunt of Geoff Bernardi, the man who died after he was attacked and brutally beaten in Clovis earlier this month, said he “deserved so much better.”

On Dec. 18, Clovis Police asked the community for help in finding the suspect who left Bernardi with severe injuries along Barstow and Highway 168. When police found Bernardi, he was along a canal between Peach and Willow avenues.

Police said that when Bernardi was found, he was severely beaten beyond recognition. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

In a GoFundMe created by Bernardi’s aunt, Shannon Adams, it states that Bernardi was left with severe brain injuries and swelling. He had multiple skull fractures, and his face and head were swollen beyond recognition.

On Dec. 20, Bernardi’s mother, Erin Adams, confirmed to YourCentralValley.com that he passed away due to his injuries.

Instead of planning for the upcoming holidays, the family was left to grieve. They waited for doctors to pronounce him brain-dead and worked to get as many of his organs as possible matched with donor registrants.

Shannon said that they “wanted some good to come out of this horror.” The family said their final goodbyes during an Honor Walk, where he was escorted from the trauma unit to the OR.

“My family is wrecked by this loss. Geoff deserved so much better,” Shannon stated in the GoFundMe.

She describes Bernardi as the “family man,” someone who loved big family gatherings. She said that he was passionate, stubborn and hardheaded, a lot like her father.

“He was our beautiful, frustrating, funny, smart, sensitive, infuriating, passionate, pig-headed, loving, caring, complicated boy, and we are completely rocked to the core by this loss,” she said. “He was a beautiful contradiction, and we will miss him forever. Family gatherings will never be the same.”

Shannon said as they continue to mourn this “unimaginable loss,” they find themselves facing the unexpected and dealing with unknown expenses related to his passing.

People who would like to donate to the GoFundMe can do so by clicking here.