It is a sign of a man who has given considerable thought to the future and has spoken to his other children. Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). All Rights Reserved. Douglas P. Roberts LEESBURG, FL Douglas P. Roberts, 54, of Leesburg, FL, passed away Aug, 18, 2014. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. ''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. 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. If he hadn't, his father confesses, ''I probably would have sold the company. Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. At one point, Ralph Roberts met with Mr. Immelt without Brian Roberts. [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. 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. 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. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. JUST as important, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts family bodes well for the chances of a smooth transition. But that verve was always tempered by a calm affability and a cautious approach to spending money. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. With its acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, the firm took its place among the global leaders in communications and entertainment. He is steel. May 2, 2021 As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. 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 Clifton and Lisa Roberts; another son, Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. 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. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. 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. He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. 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. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Comcast, the company that the venture became (with Mr. Aaron and Mr. Brodsky as its first two employees), has 27.2 million subscribers and produced $68.8 billion in revenue in 2014, the company said. Overnight, it went from 18th to fifth among cable firms in the United States, with two million customers. 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. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. 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. IN THE CARE OF. ''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. 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. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. He rose to president and chief executive at Pioneer and eventually bought the company. 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. "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. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. Sign Up Today! He was 95. [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. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, 2023 Hathaway Funeral Homes. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". "During this period, even before 1979 . In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter remembered the business visionary and family man. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". 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. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. And I always answer with a straight face, 'Of course I did,' " Mr. Roberts said in An Incredible Dream, his authorized biography, written by William Novak. The magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". He was the most optimistic man I ever knew. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts 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. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and perhaps most importantly, a kind and humble human being. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years and an actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. Roberts, who also served as chairman emeritus of the companys board of directors, created asmall, regional cable outfit that is now the largest cable and home Internet provider in the United States and the largest broadcasting and cable company in the world. . That was evident earlier this month when Brian Roberts and the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, struck a deal in which Microsoft agreed to pay $1 billion for an 11.5 percent stake in Comcast. "He did it in a positive, thoughtful way, not self-aggrandizing. 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. 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. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. 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. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. 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. ''Brian is the more active participant.''. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. 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. 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. to the family or plant a tree It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. 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. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. The potential for conflict is obvious. Anyone can read what you share. ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. 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. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. 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. . Brian Roberts said his parents tried to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their children. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. 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. In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. On the contrary, he says, ''Brian takes the lead and is the one forging ahead and trying to figure out where they are going,'' Mr. Maffei said. He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". ". [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. 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. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 at his residence. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. 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. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. It's been a real pleasure for the whole family," he said in 1999. "It's just a miracle," Brodsky said. ''Usually we have about 200.''. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. 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. '', Or an arrogant one. 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. 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. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". Funeral homes; Help and advice. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. "People often ask me, 'When you started in Tupelo with a few hundred customers, did you ever think that someday you'd have the largest cable company in the country?' After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. Suzanne Roberts. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. ''It's a pretty close family. ''But if it were not for self-promotion, how would a guy like Bill Gates take him seriously?''. Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. A remembrance ceremony to celebrate Roberts' life will follow at a future date. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. 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. Receive a notification when services are updated. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. Under Brian Roberts, Comcast has built on its standing as a cable television power to become a media and entertainment giant in content creation and Internet and voice services. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting,was incorporated in 1969. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. No one was punished for broaching a new idea. 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. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Douglas A. Roberts of Mount Carmel, Illinois, born in Tampa, Florida, who passed away on May 2, 2021, at the age of 66, leaving to mourn family and friends. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. The recent deal was begun when the executive committee of Cablelabs, the cable industry's research and development arm that included Brian Roberts and John Malone, chairman of Tele-Communications Inc., the country's largest cable operator, visited Microsoft in late April. 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. Blogs; Online will; Shop. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. "That's what he stood for. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. can stop at any time. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. Stone Funeral Home. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. Loving father of Dennis Garland, D.J. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. . 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. 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 will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. ''I was probably the one to pull the curtain,'' he said. All rights reserved. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Genealogy for Douglas Roberts (1960 - 2011) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Committed to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. As Gregory B. Maffei, Microsoft's treasurer, sees it, the younger Mr. Roberts is no pawn of his father. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. 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. $ 45.2 billion acquisition of time Warner cable Hall of Fame table manners, '' Mr. Roberts his... For your comment to appear that he was a killer dancer - the only thing he about. 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