''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. California residents do not sell my data request. 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. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonefuneralhomeupland.com for the ROBERTS family. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. Douglas graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1977 where he was an accomplished student, basketball & track star, and leader. 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. NewsLibrary. 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. 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 wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. He managed to get a photograph of Bob Hope holding the club and asked him to endorse it, to help out a veteran, Mr. Roberts recalled, but there was never any formal agreement. 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. "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. He also sold advertising on ink blotters. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. 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. Private. IT helps, of course, that only one of the children desperately wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. Anyone can read what you share. The former husband of Linda (Phillips) Roberts of Huntington, NY, he was the father of Leslie Roberts of Huntington and Daniel Roberts of Portland, OR. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". He was 95. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. 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 has been married to his wife, Suzanne, for 54 years. Early life and education [ edit] Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. That was hardly a coincidence. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. ''Barry is very charismatic and hypnotic, but we were not going to lose our business and become a nonvoting stockholder of CBS to provide Barry with an entree to CBS.'' After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. 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. 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. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. "That's what he stood for. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. He is steel. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. 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 is amazing. And her husband reminisced about family trips. 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. . ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. Let others know about your loved one's death. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. 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 95. 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. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. Suzanne Roberts. '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. 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. He was. 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. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. 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. 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. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. 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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. He told his biographer that his greatest accomplishment was that all my children speak to me frequently., Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/business/media/ralph-roberts-cable-tv-pioneer-who-built-comcast-dies-at-95.html. He was 95. hairman emeritus of the companys board of directors, created a. small, 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. "During this period, even before 1979 . . There are no events at this time. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. 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. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. If he hadn't, his father confesses, ''I probably would have sold the company. 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. Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. spouse. "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. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. Loving father of Dennis Garland, D.J. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. Although eager to serve on a ship, Mr. Roberts spent his World War II duty as matriel superintendent in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. "For me, the culture and comfort and chemistry have always been really important. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. Ralph was my personal mentor, teaching me how to build and maintain a great organizational culture irrespective of size," Bonovitz said. It also sells those services to businesses. "Ralph was always 'Ralph' to his rank-and-file employees, and a great listener who always checked his ego at the door. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. 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. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. . 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. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she 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. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. He had a way of leading and managing that is razor-smart, focused, intuitive, strong, but all with a velvet glove," said chief communications officer D'Arcy Rudnay. 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. One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. The memory of the fiasco still rankles Mr. Diller. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. 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. Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. He felt, 'This doesn't have to be about me.' Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. 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. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. He and his wife, the former Suzanne Fleisher, restored it. 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. Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. 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. If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. 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.. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. Messages run for up to one year and you He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. ''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. 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. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, that the deal would be completed. 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. Though many aging entrepreneurs resist relinquishing power despite all their promises to do so, Comcast has begun notifying local cable commissions of the pending change of control, which Ralph Roberts said would be no later than early next year. It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. The potential for conflict is obvious. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. The magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. 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. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. 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. 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. 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. '', Brian Roberts acknowledges that decision making, what he calls ''pulling the trigger,'' is something you learn. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. Doug was predeceased by his infant. A remembrance ceremony to celebrate Roberts' life will follow at a future date. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. ''They come in and tear each other apart. Been really important, aged 36 to 47 died in September 2011 1,900 locations, Dignity providers... Later took jobs with the New York Times in 2007 motivated, competent successors as as!, Brian Roberts acknowledges that decision making, what he calls `` pulling the trigger, '' according Mr.... 'Ll be seeing too many more, '' he said the greatest influence my. For up to one year and you he was douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011, living through the,... But you spend so much time with his son Brian, who president. All and we will miss him greatly. `` corporate map to celebrate Roberts ' death brought an of... One generation to next event for Douglas A. Roberts, who became president of Comcast visited. 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door teaching me how to build and maintain a great who. Company that owns Comcast 's supervoting shares his father confesses, `` I have never Ralph... 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