When she was 60 years old, Mrs. Roberts got her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology and now works with abused children. ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people,'' he said, ''but you never know.''. The two said their relationship had been strengthened by having much to discuss, as each pursued separate professional interests - and also by the collaboration that developed when one asked the other for advice. It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. [4] He was awarded honorary degrees from both Holy Family College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received their Joseph P. Wharton Award. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. But they talk all the time. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. "He did it in a positive, thoughtful way, not self-aggrandizing. Executive vice president David L. Cohen jumped to Comcast in 2002 from a high-profile job as chairman of the Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll law firm. ''She had a lot of friends, and she decided to go into the insurance business, and everybody she knew bought a policy from her the first year to keep us going,'' he said. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Overnight, it went from 18th to fifth among cable firms in the United States, with two million customers. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter remembered the business visionary and family man. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. '', Both parents said that in bringing up their brood, they worked hard to see that the children connected with one another. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. Investors who know him say he always prefers to remain in the background and let others like Mr.Brodsky, the vice chairman, take the limelight. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. Roberts, who also served as chairman emeritus of the companys board of directors, created asmall, regional cable outfit that is now the largest cable and home Internet provider in the United States and the largest broadcasting and cable company in the world. Ralph J. Roberts, who at the dawn of the cable television industry bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast, today the largest cable television company in the nation, died Thursday night in Philadelphia. Published. In the meantime, he and his wife had five children. In 1990, at age 70 and after 21 years at the helm, he handed off the presidency to his son, then 30, in a rare successful intergenerational transfer of power. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. On the contrary, he says, ''Brian takes the lead and is the one forging ahead and trying to figure out where they are going,'' Mr. Maffei said. There is no photo or video of Douglas A. Roberts.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Ralph Joel Roberts (March 13, 1920 June 18, 2015) was an American businessman who was the founder of Comcast, serving as its CEO for 46 years and as it's chairman emeritus until his death in 2011. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. In one generation, he started a company that is one of the 50 biggest companies in the U.S.," said Burke, one of a second wave of executives to join Comcast 15 years ago. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. . He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. NewsLibrary. [6], Roberts served on the boards of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Brandywine River Museum, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, and the PENN Medicine Board of Trustees. Douglas Alan Roberts Sept. 8, 1950 - April 1, 2020 Douglas Alan Roberts, age 69, of Vancouver, WA, passed away April 1, 2020, from complications due to COVID-19. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. And Peter Barton, the former president of Liberty Media, recalled that Brian Roberts played the key role in a complicated deal with Liberty involving the purchase of Time Warner's stake in E Entertainment, a cable-service company, for $321 million. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. Mr. Immelt was aware that many deals dont get concluded, the elder Mr. Roberts was quoted as saying in The Incredible Dream, a 2012 biography by William Novak, and he wanted some reassurance from the father of the groom that we wouldnt let this opportunity slip through our fingers.. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. And all of them are rich. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. In a statement to Comcast employees, his son, Brian L. Roberts, the chairman and chief executive officer, said Friday: Ralph will long be remembered as a kind, generous, and humble man and he was an inspiration to us all. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. Doug was predeceased by his infant. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 at his residence. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. Ralph has been the heart and soul of Comcast for 50 years, and his integrity, honesty and respect for everyone around him will never be forgotten. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Besides his son Brian, Mr. Roberts is survived by his wife, the host of the Comcast Network program Seeking Solutions With Suzanne, aimed at viewers 50 and older; two daughters, Catherine Clifton and Lisa Roberts; another son, Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. [8] The Suzanne F. and Ralph J. Roberts Foundation was one of the largest contributors to the restoration of the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia named in the honor of his father-in-law. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. "I will really miss him. Comcast's decision in late April to abandon its $45 billion deal to buy Time Warner Cable Inc. was a rare misstep for the company and a trimming of its ambitions for the moment. It is amazing. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. In 1994, for example, Ralph Roberts scuttled a bid by Barry Diller, then the chairman of QVC, the home-shopping cable channel, to acquire CBS. His plan is to turn over the votes to Brian but make sure to divide the financial pie fairly among all the offspring. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. [2][3] Roberts graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served a four-year tour on duty in the United States Navy.[4]. It is a sign of a man who has given considerable thought to the future and has spoken to his other children. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. Douglass Edward Roberts, 69, a lifelong resident of Swansea and the son of the late Edward Francis Roberts and Barbara (Douglass) Roberts, passed away on December 25, 2019. He is survived by : his parents, Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine Thompson (Boyce); his children, Sarah Roberts-Hanna, Katherine Allen, Sabrina McComas and Daniel Roberts; his grandchildren, Harper, Emily and Taylor; and his siblings, Danny Roberts and Charmaine Hankins. Throughout his career, he remained at the core a salesman and merchant, but one who took chances and could "see around corners" to anticipate the next new thing. "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". Funeral Home website by. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, that the deal would be completed. Wife Suzanna died on April 20, 2020 age 98", Ralph J. Roberts, Comcast Corporation Founder and Chairman Emeritus, dies at age 95, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_J._Roberts&oldid=1141863531, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20. Ralph Roberts was a consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader," Nutter said. "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. He was. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. The recent deal was begun when the executive committee of Cablelabs, the cable industry's research and development arm that included Brian Roberts and John Malone, chairman of Tele-Communications Inc., the country's largest cable operator, visited Microsoft in late April. He was 95. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. At the time of his death, Mr. Roberts was past president and chairman emeritus of the public company, which has its headquarters on John F. Kennedy Boulevard. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Mr. Roberts has by all accounts done a skillful job of grooming Brian to fill his shoes so that he is both respected by his peers and supported by his siblings. Loving father of Dennis Garland, D.J. Less than $5 per month Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. Today, Ralph Jr. is a professor of psychology at the University of Denver, and the other three all live near their parents in Philadelphia, where Lisa has a design business, Cathy is involved in philanthropy and Douglas is an assistant District Attorney. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. And I always answer with a straight face, 'Of course I did,' " Mr. Roberts said in An Incredible Dream, his authorized biography, written by William Novak. "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. The center, the largest and most advanced facility in the world for proton therapy - a precise form of cancer radiation - is in Penn Medicine's department of radiation oncology. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. Like many media entrepreneurs, Ralph Roberts created several classes of stock, enabling him to issue equity without losing control. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. Receive a notification when services are updated. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City, and was an entrepreneur from an early age. ''We would have discussions about our lives. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. The family holding company owns all the supervoting shares, as well as 1.8 million of the class A shares and 5.3 million of the nonvoting shares. BEST DEAL! He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. Douglass Edward Roberts, 69, a lifelong resident of Swansea and the son of the late Edward Francis Roberts and Barbara (Douglass) Roberts, passed away on December 25, 2019. Mr. Roberts taught by example. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. spouse. That was evident earlier this month when Brian Roberts and the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, struck a deal in which Microsoft agreed to pay $1 billion for an 11.5 percent stake in Comcast. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. Though his father called Comcast a family business, Brian was the only one of the children to show a serious interest in working with his father. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. Mr. Roberts later worked in advertising at the Aitkin-Kynett agency, writing slogans for the Democrat William Benton, a successful United States Senate candidate from Connecticut who defeated Prescott S. Bush, the father and grandfather of two presidents, in 1950. Figure skating program in Kensington aims to make the sport accessible for local athletes, Philadelphia Zoo's new exhibit includes life-sized dinosaurs and lots of bugs, Ex-football player from Bucks County among new 'Survivor' competitors, Eagles will host Browns for joint practices in preseason, Six Flags to enhance Hurricane Harbor with more water slides, tree house for young kids, Watch every 'Rocky' movie in order and for free on Pluto TV. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. It is a skill that Brian Roberts knows he has yet to prove and that is rare among the sons of powerful men, who are often overwhelmed by their fathers. After Brian received an undergraduate business degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1981, Ralph Roberts tried to steer him to another company, where he would have to fight his own battles. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. ''The children -- the family -- have continual discussions,'' he said during an interview in which he was joined by Brian, dressed like his father in a gray suit, black loafers, a white button-down shirt and red print tie. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. (66 years old). To be sure, he adds, ''At an important fork in the road, Brian will go off to his father'' to get the older man's stamp of approval. Ed Rendell. Private. A unique . "From selling belts door-to-door to creating the largest entertainment and technology corporation in the United States of America - it's an incredible success story. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. ''Deals like Microsoft and QVC would not have happened without Brian,'' said Steven Rattner, deputy chief executive of Lazard Freres & Company, who has worked with the family for about a decade. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. Ralph J. Roberts, 95, the soft-spoken visionary who in 1963 bought a tiny subscriber-TV system in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast Corp., the nation's leading cable company, died Thursday night in Philadelphia. But as I began to look at what was happening, I realized the cable business was the best of all the ones I had invested in, and decided to go forward full boat.. If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. It's been a real pleasure for the whole family," he said in 1999. "People often ask me, 'When you started in Tupelo with a few hundred customers, did you ever think that someday you'd have the largest cable company in the country?' Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. It purchased for $30 billion controlling interest in the entertainment conglomerate's NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; pay TV channels such as USA, CNBC, Bravo, and Syfy; the Universal movie studio; and Universal Studios theme parks in Florida and California. father . Intrigued by the nascent cable industrys potential and aided by Mr. Aaron and Julian Brodsky, a Philadelphia accountant, Mr. Roberts decided to invest, overcoming his own initial misgivings and the even stronger doubts of his wife, Suzanne, who, he said, thought he was absolutely crazy., The cable business, you put up a tower, you run a line down through the telephone poles, you charge everybody $5 a month, and you dont do anything, so it didnt seem very appealing to me, Mr. Roberts recalled in receiving a television industry award in 2003. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Make a life-giving gesture. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Sign Up Today! The memory of the fiasco still rankles Mr. Diller. Mr. Roberts, typically dapper in his signature bow tie and Brooks Brothers suits, became his sons mentor and sounding board, and the two were admired as a potent business partnership while never displaying the kind of strained and tempestuous relationship that can flare when a son succeeds a successful father. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. For example, it was Brian Roberts who was on the board of Turner Broadcasting before Time Warner bought it in 1996, and it was Brian who was president of the National Cable Television Association's board in 1995. Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. "When?" It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. Funeral homes; Help and advice. Ralph was my personal mentor, teaching me how to build and maintain a great organizational culture irrespective of size," Bonovitz said. The soft-spoken, affable Mr. Roberts never acquired the outsize public profile of cable pioneers like Ted Turner, John C. Malone, Charles F. Dolan and John Rigas, but his impact was comparable to theirs in making cable television a culture-changing industry giving viewers hundreds of channels, where they once had little more than a dozen, and persuading them to pay for something that had always been free. When Brian was 8, Comcast was a fledgling cable operator that Ralph Roberts had founded after jumping in and out of a handful of other businesses. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. In a family business, even the strongest allegiances can crack under the strain of a mismanaged transition at the top, but people familiar with Comcast say the younger Mr. Roberts is proving his mettle. In 1994, Comcast, which had helped start QVC Network, a West Chester-based home-shopping company, made a $2.2 billion bid to buy a majority stake in the company. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA.

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