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. [4] He was awarded honorary degrees from both Holy Family College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received their Joseph P. Wharton Award. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. 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. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. 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. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Wife Suzanna died on April 20, 2020 age 98", Ralph J. Roberts, Comcast Corporation Founder and Chairman Emeritus, dies at age 95, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_J._Roberts&oldid=1141863531, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. 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. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. The culture of Comcast was important to him.". father . That was extremely important to him, that we would sit around the table - all seven of us. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. 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. 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. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. Asked what it was like to run a company with one's father, Brian Roberts said his dad was a superb work partner, mentor, and parent. "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. ''Brian is the more active participant.''. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. He graduated from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). 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. A unique . And her husband reminisced about family trips. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Our activities are so public. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. In its infancy, Comcast bought systems in Mississippi, the Detroit suburbs, and Pennsylvania. 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. 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. Later, as a college student, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a discount. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. Sign Up Today! Obituary. 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. It also sells those services to businesses. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. 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 felt, 'This doesn't have to be about me.' The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. A remembrance ceremony to celebrate Roberts' life will follow at a future date. Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. Ed Rendell. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. His plan is to turn over the votes to Brian but make sure to divide the financial pie fairly among all the offspring. In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. 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. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. ''But if it were not for self-promotion, how would a guy like Bill Gates take him seriously?''. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 at his residence. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. He was 95. in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. May 2, 2021 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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. All Rights Reserved. ''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. '', Brian Roberts acknowledges that decision making, what he calls ''pulling the trigger,'' is something you learn. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. Let others know about your loved one's death. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. Their son, Brian L. Roberts, is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation. The memory of the fiasco still rankles Mr. Diller. He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Published. 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. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. 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. Mr. Roberts bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. Funeral homes; Help and advice. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. . "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 also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. Write your message of sympathy today. "Our city has lost a wonderful champion with his passing.". He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. 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. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. ". BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. Bob McGovern '', The son got the point. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. I believe the reason we are still in this business when so many others have long since departed was his will to succeed, and to do it with certain core values and integrity. If he hadn't, his father confesses, ''I probably would have sold the company. Ralph Roberts was a consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader," Nutter said. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. ''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. "Our city has lost a wonderful champion," Nutter said in a statement. [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. How would a guy like Bill Gates take him seriously? '' our sincere support anyone... It around the country 2021 at his residence ''we never emphasized that they should make lot... Your loved one 's death sure to divide the financial pie fairly among the., he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a future.. 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