“My son wanted to help people. That’s what he told me two weeks before he passed away: He wanted to be a nurse,” Whitaker said.
Ryan—Whitaker’s only child—died in January 2007 at age 25 from medical complications. A few months after his death, Whitaker traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee with her husband, Ken. There, she spotted three large crosses in three days.
Whitaker said she has spent a decade planning to build a similar cross in Tomball but did not find a good location for it until December. Whitaker said she spoke with officials from River of Praise Church, located on Boudreaux Estates Drive. While the cross is located on the church’s campus, the cross is independent from it, she said. From this location, the cross can be seen by travelers on major thoroughfares in Tomball.
“Thousands of people a day will be able to be touched by this cross,” Whitaker said.
The cross—which cost an estimated $275,000-$300,000—was funded by The Ryan Paul Whitaker Memorial Foundation. Established in 2007, the foundation’s mission is helping people in need, Whitaker said. The foundation has supported local organizations including TOMAGWA Ministries and Lone Star College-Tomball.
James Potter, who has designed 50 similar crosses around the U.S., designed the Cross of Tomball. Whitaker said several companies involved in the construction process have donated their services.
“We just have had the most wonderful people who have wanted to be a part of it,” Whitaker said.
Bruce Hillegeist, president of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce and a friend of Whitaker’s, said construction has been obstacle-free.
“It’s really been amazing how it’s been a smooth ride,” he said. “We haven’t come across any resistance [from the Federal Aviation Administration or Harris County]. It’s just meant to be.”
The cross will be dedicated April 9 at 6:30 p.m. on the campus of River of Praise Church, an event open to the public, Whitaker said.
“This is the cross of Tomball,” she said. “It belongs to the people.”
