Dr. Marti Baum Hardesty’s remarkable life was celebrated on Sabbath afternoon, September 27, 2025, at the Loma Linda University Church. The archway of exquisitely beautiful fresh flowers reflected the unique and artistic welcome she always extended to those around her during her days amongst us.
I miss the Marti I knew and had the privilege of partnering with as a valued colleague. Several years after I founded Operation Jessica— a transformational program for street kids and gang-involved youth that took place in nature, usually at Pine Springs Ranch—I first met Marti. We had both been on faculty at Loma Linda University for many years. I was immediately struck by her charisma and artistic flair. Her creativity blended beautifully with my own, and she shared the same deep love for wounded kids as I did. Together, we discovered that unconditional love, combined with purposeful agreements and dynamic programming in a natural setting, could shift the lives of these teens in powerful ways.
One of “our kids” from Operation Jessica, whom I saw again 22 years later, shared how his experience changed his life forever. He said:
“Before I went on Operation Jessica, my life was spiraling into hell. I didn’t expect to live more than a few more months. I was involved in about every destructive activity imaginable. But through the music, the art and dramas, and especially through the immersion into nature, my life moved from darkness into the light. I now have a family, a good job, I love God, and life is beautiful.”
This was the tremendous privilege that Dr. Marti and I were blessed to be part of. Sadly, that partnership began to erode in the fall of 2007, finally coming to an end with the passing of my father. His death threw me into intense, disabling grief. After his passing on January 9, 2009, Operation Jessica ceased to be.
Now that Marti is no longer among us, I find myself missing the sound of her laughter, her radiant presence, and the effortless charisma she carried like the mantle of a queen. Her creativity, compassion, and love for humanity left an imprint on everyone she touched. Her legacy will live on in the lives of those she helped bring from darkness into light.