WHITNEY GRACE KIRKENDALL
1990-2021
Our beloved daughter Whitney Grace Kirkendall died on August 3rd, 2021 in Houston, Texas after a long illness. Born on March 28th, 1990 in Houston, Whitney grew up in The Woodlands, Texas after her family moved there from Houston in May 1991. During her youth, Whitney was an active member in the youth group of The Woodlands Methodist Church where she gave her life to Christ. In every school she attended and in each of the many activities she embraced, Whitney made many friends and charmed people with her attractive combination of beauty, effervescent personality, and affectionate nature. She attended Galatas Elementary, Mitchell Intermediate, and Branch Crossing Junior High in The Woodlands, and Texas Military Institute in
San Antonio, Texas in 200708 before electing to obtain her Certificate of High School Equivalency Certificate in 2008.
In 2009, Whitney gave birth to her son Sam, who was the first of the two brightest lights in her life. Then, in 2014, she gave birth to the other bright light, daughter Harper Grace. From 20162018, Whitney lived with Harper in San Antonio at Magdalena House, where again Whitney made many friends, excelled in academics at San Antonio College, and gave a spellbinding keynote address to the large crowd at the annual Magdalena House Fundraising Gala in 2018. Alas, Whitney came under the grip of her pernicious illness in late 2018, which ultimately led to her death. Her kind and loving nature will be fondly remembered by those whose lives she touched.
Whitney is predeceased by her paternal grandparents,
Dr. Walter and Margaret Kirkendall of Houston. She is survived by her parents, Thomas and Susan Kirkendall of The Woodlands; her maternal grandparents, Robert and Elizabeth Schearer of The Woodlands; her son Samuel Nicolas Torres and his father Nicolas Torres of The Woodlands; her daughter Harper Grace Ward and her father Alex J. Ward of The Woodlands; her brother, Andrew of Houston; her sister Lindsey Kirkendall Kidd, Lindsey’s husband Matthew Kidd, and their son, Nash Kidd of Houston; her brother Cody of The Woodlands; over a dozen aunts and uncles, and over 30 cousins. The family gives special thanks and recognition to Whitney’s loving aunt, Dr. Mary Kirkendall of San Antonio, who was an angelic presence in Whitney’s life.
Whitney’s immediate family members will conduct a private service in her memory on Tuesday, August 17th, 2021 at 11:00 am at The Woodlands Methodist Church in The Woodlands. The service will be video streamed for Whitney’s many family members and friends. The link to the video stream can be obtained at Whitney’s online obituary at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral home or from Whitney’s family. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that memorial contributions in Whitney’s memory be directed to Magdalena House either online at https://give.maghouse. org/ or via mail at Magdalena House, P.O. Box 692041, San Antonio, TX 78269.