The elder Mr. Roberts kept the titles of chairman and chief executive. ''It's a pretty close family. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". I knew a lot of people at Comcast. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. Funeral Home website by. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. 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. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. 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. 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 evolved and personalized his relationship for each of my siblings," Brian Roberts said. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. Anyone can read what you share. ''We would have discussions about our lives. 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. 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. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. He was 95. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. There are no events at this time. In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter remembered the business visionary and family man. 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. father . He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 at his residence. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. 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. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. ''I thought if he was so young, you really have to be helped to be promoted to make it appear that you really are your own person,'' the elder Mr. Roberts recalled. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. He was 95. Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York. I never felt that Comcast was a sixth child," 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. "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. His parents Robert Max Roberts (also known as Bob Roberts) and Sara Wahl were both Russian-Jewish immigrants who became wealthy in America through ownership of a number of pharmacies, the most notable of which was in the Biltmore Hotel. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . He had been born into an affluent home, the son of the owner of a small drugstore chain in Westchester County, N.Y. For a time, the family even had a chauffeur. Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. 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.. 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. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. New York Times: Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95 By Glenn Rifkin Ralph J. Roberts, who at the dawn of the cable television industry bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast, today the largest cable television company in the nation, died Thursday night in Philadelphia. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. ''There is something about wanting to pass things on,'' he said. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". In 1963, he and his partners, Daniel Aaron and Julian A. Brodsky, paid $500,000 for a 1,200-subscriber cable TV operator in Tupelo, Mississippi, called American Cable Systems. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. Overnight, it went from 18th to fifth among cable firms in the United States, with two million customers. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Douglas A. Roberts of Mount Carmel, Illinois, born in Tampa, Florida, who passed away on May 2, 2021, at the age of 66, leaving to mourn family and friends. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. It also sells those services to businesses. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. 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. 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. When she was 60 years old, Mrs. Roberts got her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology and now works with abused children. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. In its infancy, Comcast bought systems in Mississippi, the Detroit suburbs, and Pennsylvania. It is always business. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. 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. If you know of an upcoming event for Douglas A. Roberts, please add one. He will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. to the family or plant a tree 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. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. Mr. Roberts has been married to his wife, Suzanne, for 54 years. He helped his wife, an actress, practice her lines and attended every performance no matter how many days the show ran. He loved my mother and my entire family so much. Let others know about your loved one's death. 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. 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. 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. And her husband reminisced about family trips. 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. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. 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. Once the elder Mr. Roberts is out of the picture at Comcast, Wall Street will be watching closely to see whether the son can be as tough and decisive as his father. As Comcast prospered, so did the Roberts family. He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. Comcast - the name borrowed from communications and broadcasting - was incorporated in 1969 and began its legendary climb. He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. [4] He was awarded honorary degrees from both Holy Family College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received their Joseph P. Wharton Award. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. Funeral arrangement under the care ofKeepes Funeral Home. 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. Loved my mother douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 my entire family so much and left his briefcase by the door, along with cares. 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