The couple created the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at 480 S. Broad St. in her honor. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. BEST DEAL! Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. "That's what he stood for. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. "It's just a miracle," Brodsky said. 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. [8] The Suzanne F. and Ralph J. Roberts Foundation was one of the largest contributors to the restoration of the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia named in the honor of his father-in-law. . 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. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. 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. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. 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.''. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. 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. That never happens.". "These guys go out there and kill each other!". "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. 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. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. It is the mother who will make it work. Questions? He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. This has a pretty good chance of working. 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. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. ", "He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he was very inspirational to me personally," Snider said in a statement. Private. As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. 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. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. Mr. Roberts has by all accounts done a skillful job of grooming Brian to fill his shoes so that he is both respected by his peers and supported by his siblings. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Jun 19, 2015. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. Write your message of sympathy today. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. Ralph was my personal mentor, teaching me how to build and maintain a great organizational culture irrespective of size," Bonovitz said. IT helps, of course, that only one of the children desperately wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. He never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. And all of them are rich. 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. Blogs; Online will; Shop. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. NewsLibrary. Upon graduating high school, Douglas went on to attend Wilbur Wright College briefly before following in his fathers footsteps and serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. 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. Stone Funeral Home. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. 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. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. 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. 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. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. We all will.". "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. ''We had 650 analysts on the conference call to discuss the deal,'' recalled Brian Roberts, who handled the call for Comcast. "We would have dinner as a family. Over the last five years, it has brought in a younger team of senior executives to work with Brian, including the executive vice president, Larry Smith, 49; the senior treasurer, John Alchin, 49, and the president of the cable division, Tom Baxter, 50. 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. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. ". She was not amused. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. 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. ''I would see Ralph about once a year. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. And Peter Barton, the former president of Liberty Media, recalled that Brian Roberts played the key role in a complicated deal with Liberty involving the purchase of Time Warner's stake in E Entertainment, a cable-service company, for $321 million. Published. 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. He will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. A result was Microsoft's $1 billion investment in Comcast. His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. ''Barry is very charismatic and hypnotic, but we were not going to lose our business and become a nonvoting stockholder of CBS to provide Barry with an entree to CBS.'' Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. "His legacy is that he left a big, vibrant company, that is led by his son, that will live on for many, many years," Comcast executive Steve Burke said. I lived at home.'' 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. 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. 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. 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. ''The father is open. "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 gives more speeches than anyone who is asked,'' said one media executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. 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. To send flowers He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. 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. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. The culture of Comcast was important to him.". Create an obituary. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. He was 95. (66 years old). 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.. 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. Cancel any time, no strings attached. That was hardly a coincidence. Ralph J. Roberts. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Early life and education [ edit] Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. ''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. All Rights Reserved. He told his biographer that his greatest accomplishment was that all my children speak to me frequently., Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/business/media/ralph-roberts-cable-tv-pioneer-who-built-comcast-dies-at-95.html. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - 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. [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. ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. '', Both parents said that in bringing up their brood, they worked hard to see that the children connected with one another. "When?" 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. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. 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. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. 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. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." 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. Obituary. 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. Quickly locate a newspaper obituary or death notice. 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. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. Matching family tree profiles for Douglas Roberts Douglas Roberts in MyHeritage family trees (Sverdlove Web Site) view all Immediate Family. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. [4] He was awarded honorary degrees from both Holy Family College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received their Joseph P. Wharton Award. 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. The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. His wife agreed: "The thing that motivates Ralph is not having the money, but knowing that his children are secure. 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. ''We would have discussions about our lives. California residents do not sell my data request. In addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. ''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. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. ''But if it were not for self-promotion, how would a guy like Bill Gates take him seriously?''. In addition to his wife, he 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. "Ralph was always 'Ralph' to his rank-and-file employees, and a great listener who always checked his ego at the door. "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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.' It also sells those services to businesses. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. 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. His son Douglas died in 2011. 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. Funeral homes; Help and advice. 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. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. . Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York. 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. Burke watched the father-son team when Mr. Roberts was chairman and his son president, and found their interplay businesslike and seamless. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. 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. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. But they talk all the time. 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. "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?' ''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. 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. There are too many other combatants, and it becomes another deal. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. ''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. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. 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. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. "It has been a dream come true for him - and for me," Brian Roberts told his father's biographer. 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. 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. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL.
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