PhillyVoice Contributor. 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. Published. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. 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. 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, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. 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. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. 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 will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. What is more common is that this kind of agreement does not happen. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. ". Write your message of sympathy today. In addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. 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. 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. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. But as I began to look at what was happening, I realized the cable business was the best of all the ones I had invested in, and decided to go forward full boat.. Ralph Roberts was a consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader," Nutter said. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. 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. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. 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. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. Then, chuckling, he added, ''It was probably a very good lesson for Brian -- no question about it. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. He rose to president and chief executive at Pioneer and eventually bought the company. I knew a lot of people at Comcast. 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. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. . The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. 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. 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. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. And experts say the odds of a successful transition are greater at Comcast than at most family businesses. 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. 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. In 1963, he and his partners, Daniel Aaron and Julian A. Brodsky, paid $500,000 for a 1,200-subscriber cable TV operator in Tupelo, Mississippi, called American Cable Systems. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. That never happens.". Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Stone Funeral Home. 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. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. '', Brian Roberts acknowledges that decision making, what he calls ''pulling the trigger,'' is something you learn. At one point, Ralph Roberts met with Mr. Immelt without Brian Roberts. 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. 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. "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. ''I would see Ralph about once a year. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. 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. So he made his own bid for QVC, with TCI as a partner, effectively killing the CBS deal. In the meantime, he and his wife had five children. He was 95. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. . 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. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. 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. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. Ralph J. Roberts. [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. It also sells those services to businesses. In February 2013, Comcast paid $16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. "His legacy is that he left a big, vibrant company, that is led by his son, that will live on for many, many years," Comcast executive Steve Burke said. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. 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. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. ''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.'' ''Brian is the more active participant.''. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Make a life-giving gesture. He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. Douglas P. Roberts LEESBURG, FL Douglas P. Roberts, 54, of Leesburg, FL, passed away Aug, 18, 2014. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. 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 Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. IN THE CARE OF. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. Later, as a college student, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a discount. 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. Mr. Immelt was aware that many deals dont get concluded, the elder Mr. Roberts was quoted as saying in The Incredible Dream, a 2012 biography by William Novak, and he wanted some reassurance from the father of the groom that we wouldnt let this opportunity slip through our fingers.. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. On ski trips, he would patiently lace up five pairs of ski boots. "When?" Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. 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. 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. I never felt that Comcast was a sixth child," she said. (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. 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. A result was Microsoft's $1 billion investment in Comcast. The potential for conflict is obvious. Let others know about your loved one's death. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. ''I used to talk to Julian all the time,'' recalled Gordon Crawford, a senior vice president at the Capital Group, whose funds hold 8.1 percent of Comcast's class A stock. 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. Funeral Home website by. 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. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. Create an obituary. 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. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. He is steel. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. We all will.". '', The son got the point. Throughout his life, Roberts was involved in numerous community and civic activities, serving the boards of the Council of Emeritus Directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy, among others. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. Less than $5 per month 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. Anyone can read what you share. This has a pretty good chance of working. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and perhaps most importantly, a kind and humble human being. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. . ''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. Suzanne Roberts. "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. 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. For Brodsky that was giving up the four or five packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes he used to smoke. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. . "During this period, even before 1979 . To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. ''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. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. Jun 19, 2015. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". , they can always talk it out Ed Snider, Comcast proposed $! Put his family cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and Mr. Roberts that... Brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere 's siblings will an! Of odd jobs, including selling milk it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as as! 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