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. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. 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. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. So he made his own bid for QVC, with TCI as a partner, effectively killing the CBS deal. Sheldon M. Bonovitz joined the Comcast board in 1979 and was Mr. Roberts' personal legal adviser. The deal stirred up widespread opposition from factions who feared that the resulting cable industry giant would stifle competition and hurt consumers. The magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. He was 95. hairman emeritus of the companys board of directors, created a. small, 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. His wife agreed: "The thing that motivates Ralph is not having the money, but knowing that his children are secure. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. Messages run for up to one year and you Suzanne Roberts. Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. 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. To send flowers "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. (Mr. Bush won the states other Senate seat two years later.). Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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. It is amazing. Through the 1970s and '80s, it built cable networks, learned to maintain them, and profited by Mr. Roberts' favorite element - recurring monthly income. 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. "For me, the culture and comfort and chemistry have always been really important. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. 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. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. With its acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, the firm took its place among the global leaders in communications and entertainment. He recalled in a 1996 interview digging up his mother's marigolds and selling them to the neighbors. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. ''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 loved his work and all those who worked with him and for him. [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. "During this period, even before 1979 . We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. 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. "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. In addition to his wife, Ralph 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. Make a life-giving gesture. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. ". 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. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. [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]. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. He was 95. There are too many other combatants, and it becomes another deal. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. We all will.". If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. "We would have dinner as a family. 1-800-896-5587 (Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm MDT) Annual Membership . Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. It is always business. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York. . Ralph J. Roberts founded Comcast Corp. in 1963. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. Mr. Roberts has been married to his wife, Suzanne, for 54 years. A unique . His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. May 2, 2021 Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. Our activities are so public. When she was 60 years old, Mrs. Roberts got her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology and now works with abused children. He never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. Private. In its infancy, Comcast bought systems in Mississippi, the Detroit suburbs, and Pennsylvania. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. Funeral Home website by. 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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. There is no photo or video of Douglas A. Roberts.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. 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. Doug was predeceased by his infant. 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. "I will really miss him. . 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. 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. 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. Brian L. Roberts (born June 28, 1959) is an American billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Comcast, an American company providing cable, entertainment, and communications products and services which was founded by his father, Ralph J. Roberts. Bob McGovern 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.' In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. 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. He evolved and personalized his relationship for each of my siblings," Brian Roberts said. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. It is a sign of a man who has given considerable thought to the future and has spoken to his other children. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Ed Rendell. . In addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people,'' he said, ''but you never know.''. 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. 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 95. 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.. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. Genealogy for Douglas Roberts (1960 - 2011) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. Jun 19, 2015. "That's what he stood for. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. 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 is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonefuneralhomeupland.com for the ROBERTS family. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. 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. . ", "He's the same person as my boss that he has been as a dad; he's gracious, never interrupts when you're talking. 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