If he hadn't, his father confesses, ''I probably would have sold the company. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. ''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. 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. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. And all of them are rich. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. He was 95. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". can stop at any time. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. Doug was predeceased by his infant. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. 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. 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. He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. spouse. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. We all will.". "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. . [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 helped his wife, an actress, practice her lines and attended every performance no matter how many days the show ran. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. 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.''. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. ''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. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. 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. Later, as a college student, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a discount. It is amazing. 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. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. [2][3] Roberts graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served a four-year tour on duty in the United States Navy.[4]. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. 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. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. That never happens.". Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. Comcast's decision in late April to abandon its $45 billion deal to buy Time Warner Cable Inc. was a rare misstep for the company and a trimming of its ambitions for the moment. PHILADELPHIA-- ( BUSINESS WIRE )--Today we are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes last night in Philadelphia, PA. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. 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. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. 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. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. . It's been a real pleasure for the whole family," he said in 1999. 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. ''They come in and tear each other apart. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. PhillyVoice Contributor. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. 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. 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. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Douglas P. Roberts LEESBURG, FL Douglas P. Roberts, 54, of Leesburg, FL, passed away Aug, 18, 2014. Douglas graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1977 where he was an accomplished student, basketball & track star, and leader. 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. Sign Up Today! To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. He graduated from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship. The 1998 Inquirer Executive Compensation Survey showed that Mr. Roberts was paid $45 million, ranking second on The Inquirer's list of the most highly compensated chief executives in the region. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. 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. 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.. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. 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. She was not amused. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. Fleisher. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. Ed Rendell. "He did it in a positive, thoughtful way, not self-aggrandizing. ''We had 650 analysts on the conference call to discuss the deal,'' recalled Brian Roberts, who handled the call for Comcast. 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. Comcast - the name borrowed from communications and broadcasting - was incorporated in 1969 and began its legendary climb. 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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. May 2, 2021 Ralph J. Roberts. Questions? "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. [1], When Roberts was five the family moved to New Rochelle, New York and then after his father died of a heart-attack, to Germantown, Philadelphia when he was seventeen to live with his stepfather Harry Bobrow, of Bobrow Brothers Cigars. One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. But they talk all the time. ''We would have discussions about our lives. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. He moved his family to New Rochelle, N.Y., when Ralph was 5. 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. To send flowers 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. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and perhaps most importantly, a kind and humble human being. 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. He is steel. Sign up for service and obituary updates. [11] Her name appears on the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia and she hosted a TV program aimed at seniors called "Seeking Solutions with Suzanne" on Comcast's CN8 network. He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. 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. Douglas is survived by his wife DeLene (nee Edmon) Scott, his loving children Douglas (Erin Sutton) Scott and Monique (Terri) Davis; his mother Mona Scott; his siblings Vernon Scott, Steven Scott, Michael Scott and Patricia Yusuff and many loving family and friends. [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. 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. And her husband reminisced about family trips. ''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. Let others know about your loved one's death. '', Or an arrogant one. Sign up for service and obituary updates. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. The couple created the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at 480 S. Broad St. in her honor. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. 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. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. 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. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. ''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. 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. He was the most optimistic man I ever knew. 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. 1-800-896-5587 (Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm MDT) Annual Membership . I knew a lot of people at Comcast. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. 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. 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. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. 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. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. The magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 at his residence. His son Douglas died in 2011. In February 2013, Comcast paid $16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal. 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. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. . 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. Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York. Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. Figure skating program in Kensington aims to make the sport accessible for local athletes, Philadelphia Zoo's new exhibit includes life-sized dinosaurs and lots of bugs, Ex-football player from Bucks County among new 'Survivor' competitors, Eagles will host Browns for joint practices in preseason, Six Flags to enhance Hurricane Harbor with more water slides, tree house for young kids, Watch every 'Rocky' movie in order and for free on Pluto TV. The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. Loving father of Dennis Garland, D.J. Paid $ 16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal of your loved ones unique life attentive... Up with five kids competing for attention, it 's been a wrenching,. 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