Maria (Karen Zerby)
It was at this time that David met the woman who was to become his wife, after the dissolution of his first marriage. Karen Zerby (known by Family members as Maria), was an active Christian in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1969, she encountered a few members of David's "Teens for Christ" visiting from California.
They told her about their work with the hippies, and she returned to Huntington Beach with them. The daughter of a minister, Maria's background, and Christian college secretarial training made her an ideal addition to David's personal staff and household. Maria, who was many years younger than David, remained his constant companion for 25 years, from the spring of 1969 until his passing in 1994.
Maria assumed the administrative and spiritual oversight of the Family International after David's passing. Her husband, Steve Kelly (known to the Family as Peter Amsterdam) also serves as co-administrator. Maria oversees the inspirational writings that continue to form the basis of Family theological and devotional study, as originated by David.