Marva Cosby, a Dayton Foundation Governing Board member and immediate past chair, departed this life on February 9, leaving behind a profound legacy of commitment to the Foundation and the Greater Dayton community.
More than a valued Foundation volunteer, according to current Chair David Miller, “She was a friend who cared deeply about the Foundation’s mission and impact for the betterment of all in our community. I’m truly grateful for her example and compassion. We’ll miss her, but she’s certainly not forgotten.”
Marva was the first African-American woman to lead The Dayton Foundation’s Governing Board. (Left to right: Dayton Foundation Governing Board Vice Chair Jan Culver, and past Governing Board Chairs Marva, Judy McCormick and Ellen Ireland)
Marva enjoyed a successful career as the vice president of human resources for Kodak and later as a certified leadership coach. She joined the Foundation’s Board in 2015 and served as its chair from 2020 to 2022, helping to oversee the awarding of $125.6 million in grants through all Foundation funds, including the Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund to support the 2019 tornado recovery efforts; the Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund to aid victims of the mass shooting; and the COVID-19 Response Fund for Greater Dayton to assist area nonprofits in their response to the global pandemic. Additionally, she provided invaluable leadership as chair of the Foundation’s Marketing and Public Relations Committee during its initial planning phase for the organization’s centennial anniversary in 2021.
[Marva] was a friend who cared deeply about the Foundation’s mission and impact for the betterment of all in our community. – David Miller, Governing Board chair
“Marva was a bright light in the Foundation’s family and a force for making the Greater Dayton community stronger and more resilient,” said Mike Parks, CFRE, president of The Dayton Foundation. “Her spirit continues through her charitable fund, the organizations that were fortunate to have benefited from her volunteer service and the individuals whose lives she touched.”
She gave her time and treasure to many organizations, a value instilled in her and her siblings by their parents. Marva often talked about how her mother taught them to share a bit of what they had to help solve problems and support causes that aligned with what was important to them.
“Whether it was collecting for the March of Dimes, soliciting change for UNICEF while trick-or-treating or dropping coins in a bucket for the Community Chest, giving to help the needs of her community was her calling in life,” Mike Parks said.
Marva was part of Dayton’s nonprofit landscape. She joined the boards of Antioch University Midwest, County Corp, Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley, Montgomery County Workforce Policy Board, Premier Health, Sinclair Community College and United Way of the Greater Dayton Area, among others. We Care Arts also held a special place in Marva’s heart after her son, who suffered life-changing injuries in a motorcycle accident, began attending its programs.
I believe in moving pebbles aside to make the path smoother for someone else. – Marva Cosby
She also was a member of the Dayton Chapter of The Links, Inc., and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and was recognized regionally as a 2012 Dayton Daily News Ten Top Women and 2015 YWCA Dayton Women of Influence honoree.
Marva’s humility and compassion for others were her hallmarks. Before her passing, she established a named charitable fund through The Dayton Foundation that will continue in perpetuity.
“I believe in moving pebbles aside to make the path smoother for someone else,” Marva said in a 2020 edition of Good News. “Through my fund, I’ll continue to support the things I’m passionate about long after I have departed this earth. That’s important to me.”