His wife agreed: "The thing that motivates Ralph is not having the money, but knowing that his children are secure. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. "During this period, even before 1979 . [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 never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. ''He gives more speeches than anyone who is asked,'' said one media executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. 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. Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. . in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. No services are scheduled at this time. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. 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. It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Ralph Roberts was a consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader," Nutter said. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years and an actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. That was extremely important to him, that we would sit around the table - all seven of us. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. He sold it in 1961 to form his own venture capital firm, the International Equity Corporation, from which he began his foray into cable television. 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. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. No one was punished for broaching a new idea. The couple created the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at 480 S. Broad St. in her honor. 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. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Loving father of Dennis Garland, D.J. 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. 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. can stop at any time. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Committed to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. 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. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. A unique . Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting,was incorporated in 1969. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Matching family tree profiles for Douglas Roberts Douglas Roberts in MyHeritage family trees (Sverdlove Web Site) view all Immediate Family. Then, chuckling, he added, ''It was probably a very good lesson for Brian -- no question about it. He was 95. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. May 2, 2021 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. 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. Sign up for service and obituary updates. It is the mother who will make it work. His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. Receive a notification when services are updated. Like many media entrepreneurs, Ralph Roberts created several classes of stock, enabling him to issue equity without losing control. 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. He was 95. He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. He felt, 'This doesn't have to be about me.' "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. "We would have dinner as a family. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". 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. Write your message of sympathy today. "I will really miss him. 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. We all will.". ''We had 650 analysts on the conference call to discuss the deal,'' recalled Brian Roberts, who handled the call for Comcast. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City, and was an entrepreneur from an early age. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. 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. 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. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. In February 2013, Comcast paid $16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. ", "He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he was very inspirational to me personally," Snider said in a statement. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. Most recently, Roberts and his wife, Suzanne, received the Philadelphia Award to highlight their lifetime contributions to the city in business, philanthropy, and arts and culture. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. Cancel any time, no strings attached. He is steel. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. Funeral arrangement under the care ofKeepes Funeral Home. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. 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. 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. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. 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. That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. Then in 1941, after seeing him twirling with another dance partner, she "grabbed Ralph, took him out on the golf course, and said, 'I want to marry you.' 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. 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. [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. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. 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. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. 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. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. It is amazing. In addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. ''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. 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. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. 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. JUST as important, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts family bodes well for the chances of a smooth transition. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. 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. 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. 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