Obituary of Martha Serrie Benedict

Martha Serrie Benedict: October 6, 1944-December 19, 2012 A woman of pioneering spirit, infinite curiosity, and deep caring for people and the environment, Martha Benedict MA, ND, OMD, Lac, lived a life devoted to service and healing. As a mother, a professional and an innovator, Martha spent her life advocating for and championing health and healing for all. A contemporary Renaissance woman, she was a licensed audiologist, acupuncturist, herbologist, plants woman, and ecological advocate for butterflies. She earned her Master's Degree from Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Audiology. Curious to learn new ways to help her hearing-impaired patients, she found her life's calling. She learned acupuncture, herbology and the healing practices of China, Korea, Bali, India, and Native American cultures. Among the five pioneering Americans who lobbied the California State Legislature to legalize acupuncture, she opened an avenue for Asians to practice their ancient medicinal art and to demonstrate its effectiveness to the western world. Once that battle was won, she became one of the first licensed practitioners of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in the State. From the time she woke up until the time she went to bed, Martha worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for everyone. She co-founded the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, one of the first colleges in the United States to teach Acupuncture, and then she served as a member of its faculty for the first few years. Opening a Chinese Medicine practice in Santa Cruz, she served her clients for more than 35 years with profound compassion and deep respect. With her belief that everyone has the ability to change, she sought out the depth in her clients and rallied them to serve the essential energy in their own lives. In 1996 she established Benedictine Healing Products, creating tinctures, oils, and salves that were distributed nationwide and extended the reach of her ability to serve in the realm of health. Her formulations are available on the website, www.benedictineherbs.com/. Martha Benedict's passionate embrace of life encompassed an extensive organic garden, music, poetry, literature, the visual and culinary arts, travel, and politics. In the mid-1990's she attended a lecture at the UCSC Arboretum and learned that the California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly, previously native to the area, had long since disappeared due to the eradication of its host plant, the Dutchman's Pipevine, Aristolochia californica. Benedict was inspired to reintroduce the plants and butterflies into her garden, and with her husband has raised hundreds of caterpillars in wire mesh cages, releasing the butterflies as they emerged from their cocoons. Founding the Butterfly Project, she enlisted enthusiastic volunteers to create butterfly corridors throughout the county by planting the Dutchman's Pipevine and introducing caterpillars and butterflies. Martha Benedict is survived by her husband, David Klemp, her mother, Josephine Serrie, her daughters, Maartje Eagle and Caroline Klemp, her son, David Dawson Klemp, her son-in-law, Bill Eagle, two grandchildren, Rowan and Marcus, her two sisters Lee Serrie and Dorothy Stern, and her brother, Heindrick Serrie. Martha Benedict has left us with an immense legacy that has enriched the lives of many people in our community. In lieu of food, flowers and cards, she and her family request that donations be given to the Butterfly Project: www.butterflyproject.org.