Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - There are no events at this time. ''I was probably the one to pull the curtain,'' he said. He also sold advertising on ink blotters. ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people,'' he said, ''but you never know.''. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. The 1998 Inquirer Executive Compensation Survey showed that Mr. Roberts was paid $45 million, ranking second on The Inquirer's list of the most highly compensated chief executives in the region. 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. JUST as important, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts family bodes well for the chances of a smooth transition. 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. ''It's a pretty close family. father . And all of them are rich. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. Through the 1970s and '80s, it built cable networks, learned to maintain them, and profited by Mr. Roberts' favorite element - recurring monthly income. He was 95. 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. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. 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. Sign Up Today! 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. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. 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. 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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. 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. Fleisher. 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. 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. Let others know about your loved one's death. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. He and his wife, the former Suzanne Fleisher, restored it. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. Ralph Roberts was a consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader," Nutter said. Although eager to serve on a ship, Mr. Roberts spent his World War II duty as matriel superintendent in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Sign up for service and obituary updates. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. Write your message of sympathy today. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. ''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. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. Obituary. "It has been a dream come true for him - and for me," Brian Roberts told his father's biographer. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY. 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. ''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. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. 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. Blogs; Online will; Shop. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. Anyone can read what you share. It is amazing. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. I believe the reason we are still in this business when so many others have long since departed was his will to succeed, and to do it with certain core values and integrity. 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. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, 2023 Hathaway Funeral Homes. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. (66 years old). The Roberts Family Remembers Ralph J. Roberts. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . 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. Mr. Roberts taught by example. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting,was incorporated in 1969. And by the end of this year, the elder Mr. Roberts will increase Brian's control over the company's special class of 8.8 million shares that represent nearly 82 percent of Comcast's vote. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. 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. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. He evolved and personalized his relationship for each of my siblings," Brian Roberts said. '', The son got the point. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. And her husband reminisced about family trips. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. 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. 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. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. ''We moved into an apartment with my aunt in Philadelphia. Funeral homes; Help and advice. That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. 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. in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. It is a sign of a man who has given considerable thought to the future and has spoken to his other children. chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, that the deal would be completed. I lived at home.'' Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. ''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. 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. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. 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. He was. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. 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. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. "That's what he stood for. 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. to the family or plant a tree He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. Bob McGovern "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". May 2, 2021 "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. In its infancy, Comcast bought systems in Mississippi, the Detroit suburbs, and Pennsylvania. He recalled in a 1996 interview digging up his mother's marigolds and selling them to the neighbors. 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. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. Cancel any time, no strings attached. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". "When?" 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 helped his wife, an actress, practice her lines and attended every performance no matter how many days the show ran. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." A unique . 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. That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. All rights reserved. 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. Enter With its acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, the firm took its place among the global leaders in communications and entertainment. The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. But they talk all the time. Overnight, it went from 18th to fifth among cable firms in the United States, with two million customers. 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. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. 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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. And experts say the odds of a successful transition are greater at Comcast than at most family businesses. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. 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. 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. ''Usually we have about 200.''. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. ", "He's the same person as my boss that he has been as a dad; he's gracious, never interrupts when you're talking. As Gregory B. Maffei, Microsoft's treasurer, sees it, the younger Mr. Roberts is no pawn of his father. 1-800-896-5587 (Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm MDT) Annual Membership . The elder Mr. Roberts kept the titles of chairman and chief executive. But that verve was always tempered by a calm affability and a cautious approach to spending money. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. 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. He loved his work and all those who worked with him and for him. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. A Visitation will be held on Friday, March 3 from 10 am - 12 pm at Drake and Son Funeral Home, 5303 North Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60625. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. 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. '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. ''The father is open. ''Brian is the more active participant.''. Brian L. Roberts (born June 28, 1959) is an American billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Comcast, an American company providing cable, entertainment, and communications products and services which was founded by his father, Ralph J. Roberts. [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]. If a family has to go to law court to determine what is fair, the issue is what's the law, not what is fair.''. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. 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. mother. 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 is tough,'' he says ruefully. 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. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. 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. ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. 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. 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. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. 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 is the mother who will make it work. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. '', Or an arrogant one. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. 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. Doug was predeceased by his infant. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. 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. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and perhaps most importantly, a kind and humble human being. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. 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 amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. No services are scheduled at this time. That was hardly a coincidence. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. 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. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? "It's just a miracle," Brodsky said. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. ''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. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City, and was an entrepreneur from an early age. Douglas is survived by his wife DeLene (nee Edmon) Scott, his loving children Douglas (Erin Sutton) Scott and Monique (Terri) Davis; his mother Mona Scott; his siblings Vernon Scott, Steven Scott, Michael Scott and Patricia Yusuff and many loving family and friends. 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. Ralph J. Roberts. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. 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