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. 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. California residents do not sell my data request. Once the elder Mr. Roberts is out of the picture at Comcast, Wall Street will be watching closely to see whether the son can be as tough and decisive as his 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. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. [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. He felt, 'This doesn't have to be about me.' I knew a lot of people at Comcast. PhillyVoice Contributor. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York. 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. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. Under Brian Roberts, Comcast has built on its standing as a cable television power to become a media and entertainment giant in content creation and Internet and voice services. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter remembered the business visionary and family man. Doug was predeceased by his infant. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. ''It's a pretty close family. 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. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. 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. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. No services are scheduled at this time. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. 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. If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. In addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. 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 Roberts Family Remembers Ralph J. Roberts. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. 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 took the time to sort out with each child the ambitions and passions of life, and to stay engaged, as these changed, his son said. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. 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. 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. 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. 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. While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". . He was 95. The Elkins Park family would travel to places like Haiti and Guatemala to learn about other cultures. '', Both parents said that in bringing up their brood, they worked hard to see that the children connected with one another. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. ''We moved into an apartment with my aunt in Philadelphia. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. 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. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. 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. Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. [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]. 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. ''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. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. 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. BEST DEAL! Over the last five years, it has brought in a younger team of senior executives to work with Brian, including the executive vice president, Larry Smith, 49; the senior treasurer, John Alchin, 49, and the president of the cable division, Tom Baxter, 50. A result was Microsoft's $1 billion investment in Comcast. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Doug was predeceased by his infant. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - May 2, 2021 At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". 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 and his wife, the former Suzanne Fleisher, restored it. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. '', Or an arrogant one. ''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 has five children, aged 36 to 47. ''He gives more speeches than anyone who is asked,'' said one media executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Obituary. In 1963, the year he founded the company, he created Comcast class B shares, of which there are 8.8 million, each with 15 votes. "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. to the family or plant a tree 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. 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. ''It has been wonderful to share those tense moments with your father,'' Brian Roberts said, ''and hopefully, it has prepared me for the future. It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. In 2011, fulfilling the Robertses long-held interest in NBC, Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric for $6.5 billion; in doing so, it became one of the industrys leading content producers. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. 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. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). Ralph J. Roberts, the man who 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. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. "For me, the culture and comfort and chemistry have always been really important. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. He also sold advertising on ink blotters. 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. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. All rights reserved. He recalled in a 1996 interview digging up his mother's marigolds and selling them to the neighbors. "Ralph has been the heart and soul of Comcast for 50 years," said his son, Comcast president and CEO Brian L. Roberts, in a note to employees Friday morning. ALL along, however, Mr. Roberts has drawn his son closer to the center of action inside Comcast and pushed him into the spotlight outside the company. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. 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. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. The son, meanwhile, remains an understudy of the father -- and the father is impressing upon the son the need to play hardball when the occasion demands it. IN THE CARE OF. As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. 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. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Through the 1970s and '80s, it built cable networks, learned to maintain them, and profited by Mr. Roberts' favorite element - recurring monthly income. IT helps, of course, that only one of the children desperately wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. 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. 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. His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. Sign Up Today! He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. Comcast, the company that the venture became (with Mr. Aaron and Mr. Brodsky as its first two employees), has 27.2 million subscribers and produced $68.8 billion in revenue in 2014, the company said. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. ''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. That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. 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. [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. [11] Her name appears on the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia and she hosted a TV program aimed at seniors called "Seeking Solutions with Suzanne" on Comcast's CN8 network. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. Quickly locate a newspaper obituary or death notice. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. can stop at any time. Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. 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. But if Brian were not up to it, he would not have stood a chance because you can't sacrifice all the people in the place for a poor manager. "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. A remembrance ceremony to celebrate Roberts' life will follow at a future date. 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. It's been a real pleasure for the whole family," he said in 1999. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. '', See the article in its original context from. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Messages run for up to one year and you Published. ''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. Make a life-giving gesture. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. . Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. 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. Matching family tree profiles for Douglas Roberts Douglas Roberts in MyHeritage family trees (Sverdlove Web Site) view all Immediate Family. 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. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. 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. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. Mr. Roberts has been married to his wife, Suzanne, for 54 years. No one was punished for broaching a new idea. [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. Obituary Roberts, Douglas David It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas Roberts on August 1, 2013 at The Wellington Nursing Home in his 89th year. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. 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. [4] Roberts received awards from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the Walter Kaitz Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, The National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Urban League of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement,[7] and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Before he founded Comcast, Roberts was president and CEO of Pioneer Industries, a leading mens clothing accessories company, vice president of Muzak Corp. and an account executive with Aitken Kynett Advertising Agency, according to his company biography. 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. ", "He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he was very inspirational to me personally," Snider said in a statement. But as Brian Roberts worked his way up the ladder, the halcyon 1980's came to an end. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. 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. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. When she was 60 years old, Mrs. Roberts got her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology and now works with abused children. He had been born into an affluent home, the son of the owner of a small drugstore chain in Westchester County, N.Y. For a time, the family even had a chauffeur. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. Mr. Roberts taught by example. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. He rose to president and chief executive at Pioneer and eventually bought the company. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. But they talk all the time. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. 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. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. 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. In later years, he did so with his son Brian L. Roberts, to whom he turned over the companys presidency in 1990 when Brian was 30 years old. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". Private. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. 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. Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. father . To send flowers Ralph J. Roberts. Fleisher. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. It is only natural for the world to wonder: How will Brian's siblings react to all this? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Funeral arrangement under the care ofKeepes Funeral Home. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. Asked what it was like to run a company with one's father, Brian Roberts said his dad was a superb work partner, mentor, and parent. 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. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. 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. View all Immediate family and helping those less fortunate Pennsylvania and served four years the. 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