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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. Although eager to serve on a ship, Mr. Roberts spent his World War II duty as matriel superintendent in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Enter "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. 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. 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. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. [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. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. Like many media entrepreneurs, Ralph Roberts created several classes of stock, enabling him to issue equity without losing control. 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.' 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. "During this period, even before 1979 . He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. 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. He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. "When?" As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. "Ralph, the patient, unassuming gentleman, kept a steady hand on the wheel as they made a series of brilliant bets on the future," his son said in the biography. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. It is the mother who will make it work. 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. That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. In 2011, fulfilling the Robertses long-held interest in NBC, Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric for $6.5 billion; in doing so, it became one of the industrys leading content producers. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. He was committed to the fight against cancer, and along with his wife and family, helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. 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. "We would have dinner as a family. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." '', The son got the point. The Roberts Family Remembers Ralph J. Roberts. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. A result was Microsoft's $1 billion investment in Comcast. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonefuneralhomeupland.com for the ROBERTS family. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. ''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. "I will really miss him. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. . 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. 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. 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. 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. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. His son Douglas died in 2011. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. 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. 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. ''They come in and tear each other apart. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. If a family has to go to law court to determine what is fair, the issue is what's the law, not what is fair.''. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. And by the end of this year, the elder Mr. Roberts will increase Brian's control over the company's special class of 8.8 million shares that represent nearly 82 percent of Comcast's vote. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City, and was an entrepreneur from an early age. 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. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. ''He gives more speeches than anyone who is asked,'' said one media executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Their son, Brian L. Roberts, is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation. 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. 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. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting,was incorporated in 1969. (66 years old). 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. 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. ''It has been wonderful to share those tense moments with your father,'' Brian Roberts said, ''and hopefully, it has prepared me for the future. BEST DEAL! As Gregory B. Maffei, Microsoft's treasurer, sees it, the younger Mr. Roberts is no pawn of his father. That never happens.". Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. In addition to his wife, Ralph 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. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. ''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. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. Funeral homes; Help and advice. 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. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. 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.. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. 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. in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. And all of them are rich. He never told me anything I wanted to do at Comcast was a bad idea, and after more than 30 years, youd think Ive had a lot of bad ideas.. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. 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. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. It's been a real pleasure for the whole family," he said in 1999. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. . ''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. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Create an obituary. 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 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. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. . Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years and an actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne. JUST as important, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts family bodes well for the chances of a smooth transition. 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. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. 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. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Sign Up Today! ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. This has a pretty good chance of working. 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. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. Throughout his career, he remained at the core a salesman and merchant, but one who took chances and could "see around corners" to anticipate the next new thing. His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. In 1994, Comcast, which had helped start QVC Network, a West Chester-based home-shopping company, made a $2.2 billion bid to buy a majority stake in the company. 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