CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. He was committed to the fight against cancer, and along with his wife and family, helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. 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. "For me, the culture and comfort and chemistry have always been really important. 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. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. "Our city has lost a wonderful champion with his passing.". 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. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. Ralph J. Roberts. Suzanne Roberts. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. 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. 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. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. ''We would have discussions about our lives. 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. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". Sign Up Today! Anyone can read what you share. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. Our activities are so public. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. We all will.". I knew a lot of people at Comcast. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. In 1994, Comcast, which had helped start QVC Network, a West Chester-based home-shopping company, made a $2.2 billion bid to buy a majority stake in the company. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. At one point, Ralph Roberts met with Mr. Immelt without Brian Roberts. 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. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she 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. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. 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. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". His father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. "When?" 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. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. She was not amused. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. Bob McGovern He is steel. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. 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. 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. He was chairman of the board from 1969 to 2002. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. And experts say the odds of a successful transition are greater at Comcast than at most family businesses. I lived at home.'' ''Usually we have about 200.''. He was a killer dancer - the only thing he bragged about. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He was 95. In addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. ''They drag the business down because it kills the morale of everybody in the company.''. Receive a notification when services are updated. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. Doug was predeceased by his infant. 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.. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. On ski trips, he would patiently lace up five pairs of ski boots. . CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. mother. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. Jun 19, 2015. 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. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. 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. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. He was 95. "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. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. 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. 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. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. Messages run for up to one year and you 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. 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. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. Fleisher. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. For Brodsky that was giving up the four or five packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes he used to smoke. I never felt that Comcast was a sixth child," she said. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. ''It has been wonderful to share those tense moments with your father,'' Brian Roberts said, ''and hopefully, it has prepared me for the future. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. 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. 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. It is only natural for the world to wonder: How will Brian's siblings react to all this? Douglas graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1977 where he was an accomplished student, basketball & track star, and leader. To send flowers That never happens.". He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. '', Brian Roberts acknowledges that decision making, what he calls ''pulling the trigger,'' is something you learn. He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". 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. It is amazing. He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. Published. 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. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. Obituary. To be sure, he adds, ''At an important fork in the road, Brian will go off to his father'' to get the older man's stamp of approval. Ralph Roberts was a consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader," Nutter said. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. ''I was probably the one to pull the curtain,'' he said. ''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. He never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. Genealogy for Douglas Roberts (1960 - 2011) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. 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. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. At the time of his death, Mr. Roberts was past president and chairman emeritus of the public company, which has its headquarters on John F. Kennedy Boulevard. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. 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.' ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. His son Douglas died in 2011. He was the most optimistic man I ever knew. 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. 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. "We would have dinner as a family. 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. "He did it in a positive, thoughtful way, not self-aggrandizing. 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. BigDaddy, as he was known to his friends and family, had a remarkable passion and talent for athletics. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Although eager to serve on a ship, Mr. Roberts spent his World War II duty as matriel superintendent in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. 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. He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The culture of Comcast was important to him.". In 2011, fulfilling the Robertses long-held interest in NBC, Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric for $6.5 billion; in doing so, it became one of the industrys leading content producers. 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