The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. 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. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. It's been a real pleasure for the whole family," he said in 1999. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. 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. 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. '', The son got the point. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. Stone Funeral Home. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. 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. He was 95. It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. ''I thought if he was so young, you really have to be helped to be promoted to make it appear that you really are your own person,'' the elder Mr. Roberts recalled. 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. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. "It's just a miracle," Brodsky said. ''The children -- the family -- have continual discussions,'' he said during an interview in which he was joined by Brian, dressed like his father in a gray suit, black loafers, a white button-down shirt and red print tie. Cancel any time, no strings attached. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. '', See the article in its original context from. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. "When?" His wife agreed: "The thing that motivates Ralph is not having the money, but knowing that his children are secure. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. Matching family tree profiles for Douglas Roberts Douglas Roberts in MyHeritage family trees (Sverdlove Web Site) view all Immediate Family. California residents do not sell my data request. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. 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. ''Brian is the more active participant.''. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. Funeral homes; Help and advice. Bob McGovern PhillyVoice Contributor. 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. As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. 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. 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 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. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. 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. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. For example, it was Brian Roberts who was on the board of Turner Broadcasting before Time Warner bought it in 1996, and it was Brian who was president of the National Cable Television Association's board in 1995. Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. Their son, Brian L. Roberts, is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation. (66 years old). Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. 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. 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. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonefuneralhomeupland.com for the ROBERTS 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. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. The couple created the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at 480 S. Broad St. in her honor. 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. 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. 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. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. 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. Let others know about your loved one's death. Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. "Our city has lost a wonderful champion with his passing.". Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. He is survived by : his parents, Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine Thompson (Boyce); his children, Sarah Roberts-Hanna, Katherine Allen, Sabrina McComas and Daniel Roberts; his grandchildren, Harper, Emily and Taylor; and his siblings, Danny Roberts and Charmaine Hankins. The family holding company owns all the supervoting shares, as well as 1.8 million of the class A shares and 5.3 million of the nonvoting shares. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. BEST DEAL! "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. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. The Elkins Park family would travel to places like Haiti and Guatemala to learn about other cultures. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. Jun 19, 2015. 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. The acquisition, which faced scrutiny from Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department, was scuttled in April of this year. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. With its acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, the firm took its place among the global leaders in communications and entertainment. Committed to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. Brodsky, the company's longtime finance guru, on Friday described Mr. Roberts as his best friend and a "charismatic, fearless visionary" who gave people the confidence to do things they thought were impossible. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Questions? No one was punished for broaching a new idea. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. I never felt that Comcast was a sixth child," she said. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. Enter 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. 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. Loving father of Dennis Garland, D.J. 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. 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. 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. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Moving to Germantown with his family from New Rochelle, N.Y., after his father's death, he graduated from Germantown High School and in 1941 from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a bachelor's degree. 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. For Brodsky that was giving up the four or five packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes he used to smoke. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. Blogs; Online will; Shop. 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. He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. 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. Sign Up Today! He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. 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. Suzanne Roberts. 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. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. 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.. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. 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