But the son wanted to stay in the family business, so Mr. Roberts started him off in the trenches, stringing cable in New Kensington, Pa. ''We were lucky because the cable business was growing and growing, '' Mr. Roberts recalled. Committed to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. He was. 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. 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. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. He evolved and personalized his relationship for each of my siblings," Brian Roberts said. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. 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. spouse. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. '', Or an arrogant one. Jun 19, 2015. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. "Our city has lost a wonderful champion," Nutter said in a statement. Let others know about your loved one's death. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. He recalled in a 1996 interview digging up his mother's marigolds and selling them to the neighbors. ''We would have discussions about our lives. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. 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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. 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. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. I lived at home.'' Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. It is always business. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . 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. NewsLibrary. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - 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. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. 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. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. "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?' 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 memory of the fiasco still rankles Mr. Diller. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. 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. ''I was probably the one to pull the curtain,'' he said. 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. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. . 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. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. 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. Funeral homes; Help and advice. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. ''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. [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. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. 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. Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. That was hardly a coincidence. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. 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. "During this period, even before 1979 . ", "He's the same person as my boss that he has been as a dad; he's gracious, never interrupts when you're talking. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. Let others know about your loved one's death. 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. ''The father is open. [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. ''He gives more speeches than anyone who is asked,'' said one media executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 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. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. It is only natural for the world to wonder: How will Brian's siblings react to all this? He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. 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. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. Make a life-giving gesture. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. 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. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. 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. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. 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. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. 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. Funeral Home website by. Using the proceeds from Pioneer, he started purchasing local community antenna television systems which brought TV to people in rural areas,[2] which were then underserved by big broadcasters. It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. What is more common is that this kind of agreement does not happen. He also sold advertising on ink blotters. Bob McGovern ''Usually we have about 200.''. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. Suzanne Roberts. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. And experts say the odds of a successful transition are greater at Comcast than at most family businesses. 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. 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. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. 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. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. But that verve was always tempered by a calm affability and a cautious approach to spending money. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the. 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. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Less than $5 per month 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. ''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. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. He was chairman of the board from 1969 to 2002. In February 2013, Comcast paid $16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. [15][16], Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, National Conference of Christians and Jews, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Times: "Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95", "Love: Suzanne (Fleisher) Roberts & Ralph J. Roberts", "Brian Roberts' Jewish Roots and Outsized Ambition Drive Comcast's Rise in Media", University of Pennsylvania Medicine: "About the Roberts", "Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia: Our Hall of Fame, Eastern State Penitentiary: "Funders for the Synagogue Restoration", "Starring Role - From the boards to the funding, Suzanne Roberts lives for the stage", "Howard Gerstley Fleisher, 95, Businessman and Active Volunteer", Daily Finance: "Comcast's Brian Roberts: The low-key exec who leads a high-profile giant" By Jonathan Berr, The Cable Center: "Cable Hall of Fame Archives - Ralph J. Roberts, "Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. ''It has been wonderful to share those tense moments with your father,'' Brian Roberts said, ''and hopefully, it has prepared me for the future. [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. His son Douglas died in 2011. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. "We would have dinner as a family. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. The deal would have relegated Comcast, the biggest QVC shareholder, to be a minor, and passive, investor in CBS, and the elder Mr. Roberts wanted no part of that. 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. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. ''It's a pretty close family. . Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. May 2, 2021 As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City, and was an entrepreneur from an early age. 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. IN THE CARE OF. To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. 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 couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. It is a sign of a man who has given considerable thought to the future and has spoken to his other children. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. In 1998, the youngster had business smarts as well as accommodating heirs inquirer writer. Two years lifetime Seeking to help others combining the words communications and broadcasting Comcast. City has lost a wonderful champion, '' said Leon Danco, president of University. 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