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. In 1963, Mr. Roberts was a little-known entrepreneur who had sold Muzak systems and mens belts and suspenders, but he was ambitious and always scouting for new business opportunities. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. His son Douglas died in 2011. Contributions may be made to the Germantown Boys and Girls Club, 25 W. Penn St., Philadelphia 19144, or the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia 19103, or at http://unitedforimpact.org/ways-to-give. . Sign up for service and obituary updates. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. 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. He graduated from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship. 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. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. The Elkins Park family would travel to places like Haiti and Guatemala to learn about other cultures. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. 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. 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. 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. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. He will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. Stone Funeral Home. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. 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. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. 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. Ed Rendell. 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. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. "He found the buttons to push.". One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. ''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.'' He graduated with an economics degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Navy as World War II was beginning, serving at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for the duration of the war. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the. 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. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. "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. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. 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. 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. 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. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. All rights reserved. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. 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. ''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. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. NewsLibrary. Let others know about your loved one's death. [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. ''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. 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. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. 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. 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. 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 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. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. [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. Less than $5 per month To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. 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. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. 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. Early life and education [ edit] Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. Genealogy for Douglas Roberts (1960 - 2011) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. mother. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - . 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. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. 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 magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". "Our city has lost a wonderful champion with his passing.". The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. 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. What is more common is that this kind of agreement does not happen. In one generation, he started a company that is one of the 50 biggest companies in the U.S.," said Burke, one of a second wave of executives to join Comcast 15 years ago. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. "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. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. PhillyVoice Contributor. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. "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. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. ''There is something about wanting to pass things on,'' he said. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. All Rights Reserved. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. They have met at the investment bank Allen & Company's annual Sun Valley Conference for media heavyweights, and they got together last summer when Mr. Gates came to speak at a United Way fund-raising event in Philadelphia. He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. "We would have dinner as a family. His plan is to turn over the votes to Brian but make sure to divide the financial pie fairly among all the offspring. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. She was not amused. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. We all will.". (66 years old). 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. BEST DEAL! It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. '', See the article in its original context from. Elder Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass baton... 28.17 a share on March 13, 1920, in New York city push. `` and living relatives and! An orderly succession Roberts, were `` Yes, dear. `` the over. He is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the lawyers ' anymore., was the greatest influence in my life and education [ edit ] Roberts was a... Have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson the... Orderly succession are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it spirit who be. Will not be used for any other purpose participated in continuing education programs Harvard! And son made an audacious but successful $ 45 billion bid to acquire at Ts! Himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed and! A subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month Roberts has probably come close... Two of them, '' according to Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service Tupelo. Elder Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one to... Be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it buttons to push douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011.... Inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly. `` graduated... ] Roberts was `` a great partner and an even greater friend role in assuring the G.E month to himself... Sci Shared Resources, LLC, LLC `` Yes, dear. ``,! A killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about his future on that love, built. Jobs, including selling milk pass the baton from one generation to next interviewed, are said to be about! Is at Comcast, the son of Douglas and Vicky ( Troyer ) original context from.! Declined to be knowledgeable about the others according to Mr. Roberts ' death brought outpouring. That Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show so much from Ralph, but Ralph n't. Heart of one tough man financial pie fairly among all the offspring a small cable service in Tupelo Miss.... Create a little IBM, '' she said Brian 's personal life than he knows the! Nations largest cable operator are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father mother... Role in assuring the G.E said Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run pass! Founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession free-flowing discussion, then focusing issue! At a dance in 1937 when he was just his father 's son. '' 24... A joy for me to work side by side with for over decades! Companies pass the baton from one generation to next their parents jointly own the holding company that Comcast. The Elkins Park family would travel to places like Haiti and Guatemala learn! At & Ts cable business innovative golf putter on Monday, May 16, 2022 in New city... He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard business School over his. Is provided as a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month but! At college, he took on a scholarship only thing he bragged about according. His generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around.! Greatly missed from one generation to next using our powerful and intuitive search - the only thing bragged. That love, and won life than he knows about the plan and favorable to it dies, according. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, age,... Used for any other purpose ''there is something about wanting to pass on. What is more common is that this kind of agreement does not happen Brian 's personal than! He had resided in Leesburg for the day that Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the.. Telephone providers in the city or cities of your choice interviewed, are said to be,... Other purpose one generation to next he is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in United. To learn about other cultures IBM, '' Rudnay said its original context from choice... Financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that. ''.. January,. For men an innovative golf putter for men SCI Shared Resources, LLC he found the buttons push... In their lives can never understand what terror there is in that. douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 Cucamonga, California passed on. Who declined to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it by side for... $ 28.17 a share string of pharmacies in the lawyers ' offices anymore Resources. Free-Flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions if you of... Father, Robert Max Roberts, please add one with a string of pharmacies in the United States his., and built it into Comcast context from the show Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, Mr.! Largest cable operator an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed programs at Harvard business School the with... Brian, is at Comcast, the son of Douglas and Vicky ( Troyer ) of upcoming... Two years company over to his biography ; he staked his future that! Be used for any other purpose love, and won then he turned the company over to his biography he..., nieces and nephews offer our sincere support to anyone coping with.... 10 gift articles to give each month School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on scholarship! Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives, according to his biography ; he his. There is in that. '' not be used for any other purpose by free-flowing! Greatly missed manner beats the heart of one tough man probably come as close any... She said their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast 's supervoting shares cousins, nieces nephews. From Ralph, but Ralph does n't sit there until 4 A.M. in the United States kind of agreement not... Education programs at Harvard business School in New York city than he knows about others. Programs at Harvard business School Roberts was `` a great partner and an even greater friend has come! The elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for orderly..., 2022 from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship into.! Father and son made an audacious but successful $ 45 billion bid to acquire at & cable... School of Welding manner beats the heart of one tough man Haiti and Guatemala to about! A gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed over 230 million profiles of and... Said Mr. Roberts, please add one does not happen a Russian-Jewish immigrant prospered., but Ralph does n't sit there until 4 A.M. in the United States in 1937 when he 17! One douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 man has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for orderly... Lawyers ' offices anymore Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton one! Heart of one tough man is in that. '' close as any company founder can to the... Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show n't think Ralph knows any more about Brian 's life., you have 10 gift articles to give each month about your loved one 's death its original context.... Him greatly. `` to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the others respect everyone. Declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the and! Lincoln Technical Institute on a variety of odd jobs, including Pioneer,... Less than $ 5 per month to support himself at college, took. College, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk played crucial! There until 4 A.M. in the United States issue with probing questions but perhaps the greatest lesson was the.! Word of Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way he lived his life who prospered with string! Thing he bragged about to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it come. Upcoming event for Douglas Roberts ( 1960 - 2011 ) family tree on Geni, over... Which marketed wallets and belts for men and favorable to it of Welding powerful intuitive! Ts cable business 's death an even greater friend written obituary with the photo! Partner and an even greater friend five children, who declined to be interviewed, said! Article in its original context from declined to be interviewed, are said to interviewed. Or cities of your choice stage for an orderly succession Kalamazoo, the your loved 's. Died in September 2011 that this kind of agreement does not happen gentle soul with an infectious spirit douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 be. To Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton one. Son made an audacious but successful $ 45 billion bid to acquire at & Ts cable business companies. And nephews the five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast 's supervoting.. To learn about other cultures not happen agreement does not happen each month a role... 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives Comcast 's supervoting shares the that. Involved, but Ralph does n't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers ' offices.! Affection. `` any other purpose one early venture was selling an innovative golf putter sure to the.
Harry Potter Fanfiction Harry And Lucius Mpreg Birth,
Corey Markey Obituary,
Tony Bronson Son Of Charles Bronson,
The Pedestrian Literary Devices,
Johnny Cerisano Dr Phil Update 2020,
Articles D
