Our Founder

Marva Cobb

Dedicated to ending breast cancer, I am the founder and driving force behind Care Comes With A Heart Breast Cancer Foundation. A breast cancer survivor for 12 years, I worked most of my adult career as a Motor Coach Operator with the Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines. Santa Monica, California.

Born in Newcastle PA, I moved with my parents to California in 1956. I graduated from George Washington High School in Los Angeles in 1971. On November 1st, I give birth to a beautiful baby girl, I named Nichelle. When she was 2 months old, 1972, I enrolled in West L.A. College as a full time student wanting to pursue a teaching career and majored in elementary education. I became a cheerleader and worked at Jack In the Box, (grave yard shift). Summer, 1972 I was hired as a clerk at Blue Shield of California, then as a food worker at Midway Hospital. Since 1967, I was a student of John Roberts Powers Charm & Modeling School, Beverly Hills and did some modeling, fashion shows and was a Still Model for Sears Stores.
I later returned to Blue Shield Insurance as a typist/secretary. Still wanting to become a teacher, I returned to West L.A. College and did an internship at Baldwin Hills Elementary School.
In 1975 I was hired by Associated in Harbor City, CA. to train as a School Bus Driver. I drove 1½ years for disabled children.

In 1977, I saw a woman driving a blue bus – it was the Santa Monica Municipal Bus Line, today renamed Big Blue Bus. The woman told me they needed more women, so I applied, and became the 12th female to serve as a Motor Coach Operator, driving 40 & 60-foot buses for the city. Being a bus driver was not only hard work, but required long hours and various off days.
I still never lost my passion for my two favorite things, Bowling & Traveling. I’ve been an avid bowler for over 42 years, bowling City, State, & National Tournaments. So It was not surprise that I would meet my husband in the bowling alley. We met in 1980 and married June, 1986.

In July 1989 I give birth to another daughter which was born 3 months premature, named Amber which only survived for 6 days.  Since my second love is traveling, In 1992 I established a Home-based Travel Agency, which I would run for the next 23 years.  The year 1996 brought both personal tragedy and professional advancement. My Mother, Doris Lyles lost her battle with breast cancer and passed on Easter Sunday.  In the same year, I was asked to be on a committee to help create a formal training department for the Big Blue Bus.

In 1999, I attended several training courses and received certifications in U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Institute (SPAB) in Sacramento, Employment Testing Programs in lieu of the DMV, Substance Abuse, Emergency Response, Bus Driver Training, Customer Service, Interviewing People, Dealing With Difficult People, and Santa Monica Police Department Citizen Police Academy.

In 2001, the training department was officially established and I was hired as a Motor Coach Operator Training Coordinator, responsible for classroom and behind the wheel training.
Eager to expand my education, I went back to school, attending Santa Monica College, and the University of Phoenix. Since the work load was so heavy, school didn’t fix my schedule. I never got to teach elementary school, but was able to fulfill my dreams for teaching class for new drivers.
In 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and was off work for 11 months. After my return, I became the go-to person for co-workers, family, and friends experiencing cancer diagnosis and treatments.

After 32 years of service, in July 2009, I decided to retire, joining my husband who’s been retired since December 1995, from Pacific Bell, and preparing to celebrate our daughter’s retirement, September, 2009 after serving 20 years in the United States Navy (Naval Intelligence).
In 2014, I began putting together information on how to open a Breast Cancer Foundation, and in January 2016 I started Care Comes With A Heart Breast Cancer Foundation, established in memory of my Mother.

Having experienced both sides of breast cancer, (losing a mother to breast cancer), being a survivor of breast cancer, supporting and assisting family and friends with breast cancer, I know firsthand the urgent needs for programs to address. We work to insure that everyone has access to preventive and awareness, early screening, education, emotional support and referrals. Our programs are not just educational and informative, but inspirational and motivating.