Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. '', Ralph Roberts acknowledges that he was the heavy. If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. 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. 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. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. 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. Dedicated to public service, Douglas elected to continue to serve his country after transitioning from the military by working as a Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service for 35 years, eventually retiring from Wicker Park Station. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. For Brodsky that was giving up the four or five packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes he used to smoke. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. Private. '', The son got the point. "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?' Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. 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. Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. 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. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. Obituary. ''They come in and tear each other apart. Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. ''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. JUST as important, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts family bodes well for the chances of a smooth transition. Ed Rendell. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY. In February 2013, Comcast paid $16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal. "When?" Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. ''I think we have known that Brian would take over the company since he was about 8 years old,'' said Julian Brodsky, Comcast's vice chairman and Mr. Roberts's alter ego for the last 34 years. In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. Receive a notification when services are updated. He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". 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. Sign up for service and obituary updates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Committed to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. ''He gives more speeches than anyone who is asked,'' said one media executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. For example, it was Brian Roberts who was on the board of Turner Broadcasting before Time Warner bought it in 1996, and it was Brian who was president of the National Cable Television Association's board in 1995. 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. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. "We would have dinner as a family. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". ''We would have discussions about our lives. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. I knew a lot of people at Comcast. Jun 19, 2015. 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. 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. [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. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. "From selling belts door-to-door to creating the largest entertainment and technology corporation in the United States of America - it's an incredible success story. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. Published. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. 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. It is amazing. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. Genealogy for Douglas Roberts (1960 - 2011) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. to the family or plant a tree That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. 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. He loved his work and all those who worked with him and for him. . He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. 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. It is the mother who will make it work. The acquisition, which faced scrutiny from Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department, was scuttled in April of this year. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. Burke watched the father-son team when Mr. Roberts was chairman and his son president, and found their interplay businesslike and seamless. He never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. The Roberts Family Remembers Ralph J. Roberts. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. But they talk all the time. 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. 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. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. Anyone can read what you share. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. mother. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. 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. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Stone Funeral Home. But that verve was always tempered by a calm affability and a cautious approach to spending money. ''I would see Ralph about once a year. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. So he made his own bid for QVC, with TCI as a partner, effectively killing the CBS deal. 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. At one point, Ralph Roberts met with Mr. Immelt without Brian Roberts. 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. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. Create an obituary. To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonefuneralhomeupland.com for the ROBERTS family. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. 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. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. He was. We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. 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. 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. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. 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. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. Douglas graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1977 where he was an accomplished student, basketball & track star, and leader. 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. Doug was predeceased by his infant. Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. In 1996, Comcast spent $240 million and agreed to pick up $170 million in debt to gain the majority interest in the Flyers, the 76ers, the Spectrum, and what was then the CoreStates Center. A remembrance ceremony to celebrate Roberts' life will follow at a future date. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. 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. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. ", "He's the same person as my boss that he has been as a dad; he's gracious, never interrupts when you're talking. 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. 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 graduated from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. Enter Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. Anyone can read what you share. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. He is steel. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. 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. ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. Through the 1970s and '80s, it built cable networks, learned to maintain them, and profited by Mr. Roberts' favorite element - recurring monthly income. At the time of his death, Mr. Roberts was past president and chairman emeritus of the public company, which has its headquarters on John F. Kennedy Boulevard. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. Douglas P. Roberts LEESBURG, FL Douglas P. Roberts, 54, of Leesburg, FL, passed away Aug, 18, 2014. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. 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