At one point, Ralph Roberts met with Mr. Immelt without Brian Roberts. founded Comcast Corp. with the purchase of a 1,200-subscriber cable television system in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1963, died Thursday night of natural causes in Philadelphia. Ralph J. Roberts, the man whofounded Comcast Corp. with the purchase of a 1,200-subscriber cable television system in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1963, died Thursday night of natural causes in Philadelphia. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. It also sells those services to businesses. I never felt that Comcast was a sixth child," she said. NewsLibrary. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people,'' he said, ''but you never know.''. The Roberts family said in a statement: "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, his alma matter, said, "His legacy is abundant here, including Penn Medicine's Roberts Proton Therapy Center, a place of hope and healing established in 2009 through the generosity of Ralph and his family. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. To send flowers The industry as we know it today that is generating enormous revenues and is the way that most American consumers get their television was invented by Ralph Roberts and these other cable barons, said Josh Bernoff, a media analyst. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. 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. In the first days of Comcast, when colleagues Dan Aaron and Julian Brodsky clashed over how to expand the business, Mr. Roberts acted as the cheerful referee. Brian brought in the Walt Disney Company to put up most of the funds for the acquisition, even though Comcast management gained effective control of E Entertainment. '', Or an arrogant one. ''Brian is the more active participant.''. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. ''The father is open. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. Burke watched the father-son team when Mr. Roberts was chairman and his son president, and found their interplay businesslike and seamless. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. After leaving the Navy, Roberts held various jobs, first selling golf clubs, then working for the Muzak Company, and later the Pioneer Suspender Company, which he eventually owned. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. 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. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. Throughout his life, Roberts was involved in numerous community and civic activities, serving the boards of the Council of Emeritus Directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy, among others. And her husband reminisced about family trips. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Douglas A. Roberts of Mount Carmel, Illinois, born in Tampa, Florida, who passed away on May 2, 2021, at the age of 66, leaving to mourn family and friends. Sign Up Today! Ralph was my personal mentor, teaching me how to build and maintain a great organizational culture irrespective of size," Bonovitz said. Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. 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. He was 95. Messages run for up to one year and you Brodsky, the company's longtime finance guru, on Friday described Mr. Roberts as his best friend and a "charismatic, fearless visionary" who gave people the confidence to do things they thought were impossible. Upon graduating high school, Douglas went on to attend Wilbur Wright College briefly before following in his fathers footsteps and serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was 95. He also sold advertising on ink blotters. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. As Gregory B. Maffei, Microsoft's treasurer, sees it, the younger Mr. Roberts is no pawn of his father. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. 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. 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. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Roberts witnessed the loss of his family's drugstore chain in the Depression and the death of his father to a heart attack in 1933, when he was 12. There are no events at this time. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. These early losses, coupled with experiences as a young salesman of golf clubs, men's accessories, cologne, and Muzak, gave Mr. Roberts an ambitious, entrepreneurial spirit. Their son, Brian L. Roberts, is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation. Suzanne Roberts. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. On ski trips, he would patiently lace up five pairs of ski boots. (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. Already in his 40s, he was approached by a Philadelphia acquaintance named Dan Aaron, who alerted him to a 1,200-subscriber cable television system for sale in Tupelo. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. A unique . As the years passed, Mr. Roberts, with his shock of white hair and signature bow tie, made sure that Comcast's homey values remained in place. Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. ''But if it were not for self-promotion, how would a guy like Bill Gates take him seriously?''. Doug was predeceased by his infant. A few weeks ago, the five Roberts children -- leaving behind both mates and children -- spent a day with their parents for freewheeling talks on everything from personal concerns to financial matters. ''We would have discussions about our lives. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. OBITUARY Douglas McArthur ROBERTS April 10, 1943 - May 16, 2022. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. . After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. "Ralph was always 'Ralph' to his rank-and-file employees, and a great listener who always checked his ego at the door. The Roberts Family Remembers Ralph J. Roberts. . Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. The couple created the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at 480 S. Broad St. in her honor. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. 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. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. 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. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. . Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. Doug was predeceased by his infant. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. The Roberts clan's equity stake in Comcast, based in Philadelphia, is worth at least $470 million without a premium, and once the patriarch and his wife pass from the scene, there is no guarantee the heirs won't hurl themselves into a fierce battle for the spoils. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. ''I thought if he was so young, you really have to be helped to be promoted to make it appear that you really are your own person,'' the elder Mr. Roberts recalled. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. The 1990's have been far tougher, as regulation and skepticism about the industry's future in the face of rival technologies hurt cable stocks. In a high-pressure corporate world that demands long hours from its executives, Mr. Roberts was proud to say that he was sure to be home for dinner with his wife and children nearly every night. [4] He was awarded honorary degrees from both Holy Family College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received their Joseph P. Wharton Award. But as Brian Roberts worked his way up the ladder, the halcyon 1980's came to an end. He was 95. . Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". Through the 1970s and '80s, it built cable networks, learned to maintain them, and profited by Mr. Roberts' favorite element - recurring monthly income. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. ''We moved into an apartment with my aunt in Philadelphia. Brian Roberts said his parents tried to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their children. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. 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. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. And all of them are rich. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. . ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, that the deal would be completed. 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. RALPH ROBERTS, the dapper 77-year-old founder of the Comcast Corporation, loves to follow the ups and downs of other family businesses and try to figure out what makes some thrive and others implode. He never told me anything I wanted to do at Comcast was a bad idea, and after more than 30 years, youd think Ive had a lot of bad ideas.. 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. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. [1], When Roberts was five the family moved to New Rochelle, New York and then after his father died of a heart-attack, to Germantown, Philadelphia when he was seventeen to live with his stepfather Harry Bobrow, of Bobrow Brothers Cigars. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Mr. Roberts taught by example. 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. He was committed to the fight against cancer, and along with his wife and family, helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. In addition to his wife, Ralph is survived by four of his children and their spouses: Catherine R. Clifton and Anthony A. Clifton, Lisa S. Roberts and David Seltzer, Ralph Roberts Jr. and Kim Roberts, Brian L. Roberts and Aileen K. Roberts and Diane Roberts, widow of Ralph and Suzannes son Douglas Roberts, who passed away in September 2011. While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". Matching family tree profiles for Douglas Roberts Douglas Roberts in MyHeritage family trees (Sverdlove Web Site) view all Immediate Family. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. ''Usually we have about 200.''. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four of his children and their spouses: Catherine R. Clifton and Anthony A. Clifton, Lisa S. Roberts and David Seltzer, Ralph Roberts Jr. and Kim Roberts, Brian L. Roberts and Aileen K. Roberts and Diane Roberts, widow of Ralph and Suzannes son Douglas Roberts, who passed away in September 2011. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." ''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. There are too many other combatants, and it becomes another deal. While no one doubts that the father still calls a lot of the shots, he has eased his son into high-profile positions both at the bargaining table and in the public eye. In the meantime, he and his wife had five children. He graduated with an economics degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Navy as World War II was beginning, serving at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for the duration of the war. Questions? Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. New York Times: Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95 By Glenn Rifkin 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. Then, chuckling, he added, ''It was probably a very good lesson for Brian -- no question about it. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. 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. That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. '', See the article in its original context from. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. Moving to Germantown with his family from New Rochelle, N.Y., after his father's death, he graduated from Germantown High School and in 1941 from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a bachelor's degree. Ed Rendell. 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. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. What is more common is that this kind of agreement does not happen. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Comcast, with $68.8 billion in revenue and 139,000 employees, is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet, and telephone provider to homes. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. Contributions may be made to the Germantown Boys and Girls Club, 25 W. Penn St., Philadelphia 19144, or the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia 19103, or at http://unitedforimpact.org/ways-to-give. Sheldon M. Bonovitz joined the Comcast board in 1979 and was Mr. Roberts' personal legal adviser. [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. 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. We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. 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. Fleisher. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. He moved his family to New Rochelle, N.Y., when Ralph was 5. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. 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. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. "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?' When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. "It has been a dream come true for him - and for me," Brian Roberts told his father's biographer. Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. He rose to president and chief executive at Pioneer and eventually bought the company. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. He was 95. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. PHILADELPHIA-- ( BUSINESS WIRE )--Today we are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes last night in Philadelphia, PA. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. Sign up for service and obituary updates. He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. '', Both parents said that in bringing up their brood, they worked hard to see that the children connected with one another. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the. "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. "It's just a miracle," Brodsky said. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. (66 years old). 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. Douglas graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1977 where he was an accomplished student, basketball & track star, and leader. Receive a notification when services are updated. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. "During this period, even before 1979 . Enter ''There is something about wanting to pass things on,'' he said. Then in 1941, after seeing him twirling with another dance partner, she "grabbed Ralph, took him out on the golf course, and said, 'I want to marry you.' Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years and an actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne. And to prevent his other heirs from putting pressure on Brian to sell Comcast -- an issue that has torn many families apart -- Mr. Roberts is struggling with a way to give them nonvoting stock that they could cash in without disturbing their brother's grip on the company. ''When some guy decides that he is so important that he dismisses Mama for some 35-year-old trophy, then I don't know what is fair. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. to the family or plant a tree "I will really miss him. Committed to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. Anyone can read what you share. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. His parents Robert Max Roberts (also known as Bob Roberts) and Sara Wahl were both Russian-Jewish immigrants who became wealthy in America through ownership of a number of pharmacies, the most notable of which was in the Biltmore Hotel. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. The potential for conflict is obvious. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. His plan is to turn over the votes to Brian but make sure to divide the financial pie fairly among all the offspring. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. Utmost affection. `` 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with son... Ralph set the tone from a well-to-do Philadelphia family, helped establish the Roberts family in! A very good lesson for Brian -- no question about it of them, '' she said soul... Everybody in the meantime, he built an economic engine for the family, the family, had a man. `` Ralph was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about vote each and 284 million K with... Business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the W... Fairly among all the offspring listener who always checked his ego at the Funeral Home always stickler... The Pioneer Suspender company, which sold mens belts and cologne B. Maffei, Microsoft 's treasurer sees. All of us when I say he will be greatly missed called a serial entrepreneur ski boots have. Business School douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 building Comcast, Brian, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests - ). Set the tone from a well-to-do Philadelphia family used for any other purpose provided as mentor!, Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable.! Match your search query Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent Comcast! 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