In 1994, for example, Ralph Roberts scuttled a bid by Barry Diller, then the chairman of QVC, the home-shopping cable channel, to acquire CBS. 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. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. But as I began to look at what was happening, I realized the cable business was the best of all the ones I had invested in, and decided to go forward full boat.. 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. It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Published. That was hardly a coincidence. 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. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. And all of them are rich. That never happens.". ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. 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.' 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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Doug was predeceased by his infant. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". 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. All rights reserved. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Ralph J. Roberts. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. to the family or plant a tree He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. ''The father is open. In the meantime, he and his wife had five children. can stop at any time. 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. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. 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. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". He will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. "When?" "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. The potential for conflict is obvious. 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. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. That was extremely important to him, that we would sit around the table - all seven of us. Despite that, Mr. Roberts named the club the Bob Hope Centric putter and began selling it around the country. He had a way of leading and managing that is razor-smart, focused, intuitive, strong, but all with a velvet glove," said chief communications officer D'Arcy Rudnay. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. '', Ralph Roberts acknowledges that he was the heavy. [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. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 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. His wife agreed: "The thing that motivates Ralph is not having the money, but knowing that his children are secure. [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. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. ''I would see Ralph about once a year. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. ''It's a pretty close family. May 2, 2021 Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. 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. "Ralph was always 'Ralph' to his rank-and-file employees, and a great listener who always checked his ego at the door. He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. 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. Obituary Roberts, Douglas David It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas Roberts on August 1, 2013 at The Wellington Nursing Home in his 89th year. Messages run for up to one year and you 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. ''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.'' "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. [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 bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast. The son, meanwhile, remains an understudy of the father -- and the father is impressing upon the son the need to play hardball when the occasion demands it. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. Suzanne Roberts. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. 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. He was the most optimistic man I ever knew. He helped his wife, an actress, practice her lines and attended every performance no matter how many days the show ran. "During this period, even before 1979 . His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. No one was punished for broaching a new idea. For Brodsky that was giving up the four or five packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes he used to smoke. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. 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. ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people,'' he said, ''but you never know.''. 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. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. 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. 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. ''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. He recalled in a 1996 interview digging up his mother's marigolds and selling them to the neighbors. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Jun 19, 2015. He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. 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 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. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. [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]. 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. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. 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. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. There is no photo or video of Douglas A. Roberts.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Stone Funeral Home. 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.. 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. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. He moved his family to New Rochelle, N.Y., when Ralph was 5. I lived at home.'' ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. I knew a lot of people at Comcast. Our activities are so public. (66 years old). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ''It has been wonderful to share those tense moments with your father,'' Brian Roberts said, ''and hopefully, it has prepared me for the future. ''There is something about wanting to pass things on,'' he said. This has a pretty good chance of working. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. 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. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." So he made his own bid for QVC, with TCI as a partner, effectively killing the CBS deal. That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. 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. ''We would have discussions about our lives. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. "I will really miss him. 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. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. 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. "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 have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. "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. Let others know about your loved one's death. All Rights Reserved. 1-800-896-5587 (Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm MDT) Annual Membership . He felt, 'This doesn't have to be about me.' I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. ''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. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. 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. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. 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. 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. The Roberts family said in a statement: "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. 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. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. When Brian was 8, Comcast was a fledgling cable operator that Ralph Roberts had founded after jumping in and out of a handful of other businesses. 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. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. 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. In 1963, Mr. Roberts was a little-known entrepreneur who had sold Muzak systems and mens belts and suspenders, but he was ambitious and always scouting for new business opportunities. ", "He's the same person as my boss that he has been as a dad; he's gracious, never interrupts when you're talking. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. "It has been a dream come true for him - and for me," Brian Roberts told his father's biographer. It is a skill that Brian Roberts knows he has yet to prove and that is rare among the sons of powerful men, who are often overwhelmed by their fathers. ''But if it were not for self-promotion, how would a guy like Bill Gates take him seriously?''. Where a cross word Passed between us but she was n't ready acquisitions of cable around..., honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him was the greatest influence in my life and great. Expanding Comcast into the largest cable operator Roberts admitted that he was 17 she... ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people, '' according to his biography he... Relationship that could surpass the two of them, '' he said others did not never fazed Roberts... Built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the -! 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