Steven Corbett Avary

Steven Avary was born a twin on January 11, 1991, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in conditions of extreme poverty, the 8th child of a Honduran fruit vendor. He and his twin brother were given up for adoption at age four months, and his twin brother disappeared under suspicious circumstances. This early trauma had a deep effect on Steven, and he unconsciously sought his missing twin brother throughout his life.

At age 7 months, he was adopted by Mary VanDerLoop and Bobby Calhoun Avary of Odessa, Texas. He was raised in their loving home in Odessa and in Richardson, Texas, along with adopted big brother David and adopted little sister Rosellen. The family moved to Katy, TX, in 1994. The children’s new stepfather, Bill Bresett, moved the family to Flatonia, TX, when Steven was in sixth grade. Steven was a quiet kid who always received good grades, was very intelligent, and loved to read. He played soccer and learned to swim at the community pool. He found wonderful friends in Katy, who were like ‘brothers’ to him. In Flatonia, he found another ‘brother’, played high school football, and worked as a lifeguard at the community pool. In 2009, he started college at the University of Houston. When his best friend, 'brother', and roommate died suddenly, Steven moved to Austin and roomed with his second ‘brother’. He worked in video recording, construction, hospitality, and warehouse management. Steven struggled with addiction from age 18 to 28. He repeatedly attempted recovery, entering rehab numerous times over a period of ten years.

In Austin, Steven met Amanda Cranfill, and they had a child together in 2017, Jackson Cade Avary. Steven soon stayed clean and sober and became a good father to Jackson every day. His recovery effort was successful for many years. Steven needed Jackson to know how much he was loved, that his father was there to support him, make sure he felt seen, and always felt safe. He and Amanda worked well together, coparenting Jackson.

Steven got involved in powerlifting and started a personal training company based on powerlifting and strength training for private clients. Its name is Before the Dawn Strength. It is based on the phrase “it is always darkest before the dawn.” Fitness became one of the main pieces of Steven being able to maintain his sobriety, how he cleared his mind, how he disciplined himself, and how he was able to connect with others. He worked at Infinite Recovery Center in admissions and as a physical trainer. He entered powerlifting competitions and placed 4th in a national competition in October 2024. His strength training efforts were instrumental in the well-being of many of his clients, and he was much loved by his weight-lifting community. He became Assistant Athletic Director at North Austin YMCA in February 2025. He met Tina Gale Lee in 2023, and in October 2025, they became engaged to be married. Steven & Tina made a home for Jackson full of laughter, dinosaurs, silly moments, and a home where a kid always knows he can be a kid.

Steven died on February 12, 2026, after a relapse.

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be Kind. Always.”

Steven is survived by his 8-year-old son, Jackson Cade Avary, and Jackson’s mother, Amanda Cranfill of Coahoma, Texas; by his fiancée, Tina Gale Lee, of Buda, Texas, by his mother, Mary Van Der Loop of Flatonia, Texas, by his stepfather, William H. Bresett Jr. of Beulah, Colorado, by his brother David and sister-in-law Maria Avary of Odessa, TX, and their children (Steven's nephews), Trent Alexander Avary & Jacob Paul Avary, his sister Rosellen Avary and brother-in-law Sebastian Sykes of Georgetown, Texas, and numerous cousins, aunts, and uncles. He is preceded in death by his adoptive father, Bobby Calhoun Avary, and best friends and ‘brothers’, Jacob Donatto and Kyle Potter.

“Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps few know their own strength. It is in men as it is in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.” –Jonathan Swift

The family asks that contributions be made to support our GoFundMe instead of flowers & trees to honor Steven's legacy and help build the future Steven wanted for his family - (http://spot.fund/HonoringTheLifeOfStevenAvary)