That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. 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. He and his wife, the former Suzanne Fleisher, restored it. ''Usually we have about 200.''. Overnight, it went from 18th to fifth among cable firms in the United States, with two million customers. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. His plan is to turn over the votes to Brian but make sure to divide the financial pie fairly among all the offspring. Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. That was hardly a coincidence. There was plenty of room to give the son a shot. In early 2011, after a protracted review by federal regulators, Comcast acquired 51 percent of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. On ski trips, he would patiently lace up five pairs of ski boots. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonefuneralhomeupland.com for the ROBERTS family. Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. 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. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. He loved his work and all those who worked with him and for him. 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. In 2014, Comcast proposed a $45.2 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. 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. The family holding company owns all the supervoting shares, as well as 1.8 million of the class A shares and 5.3 million of the nonvoting shares. He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. May 2, 2021 He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. 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. 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. Mr. Roberts said, according to his biography. [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. We all will.". Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. Douglas Alan Roberts Sept. 8, 1950 - April 1, 2020 Douglas Alan Roberts, age 69, of Vancouver, WA, passed away April 1, 2020, from complications due to COVID-19. 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. 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. 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. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. He is steel. [12] They had five children: Catherine, Lisa, Ralph Jr. (Rob), Brian, and Douglas (who died in 2011);[2] and eight grandchildren. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. There is no photo or video of Douglas A. Roberts.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. I lived at home.'' "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". In its infancy, Comcast bought systems in Mississippi, the Detroit suburbs, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Roberts, who had been in declining health, died of natural causes. 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. Then, chuckling, he added, ''It was probably a very good lesson for Brian -- no question about it. 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. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - Less than $5 per month He recalled in a 1996 interview digging up his mother's marigolds and selling them to the neighbors. "He wanted to keep the integrity, the family feel, and the dedication of employees. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. 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. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. 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. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter remembered the business visionary and family man. That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. He helped his wife, an actress, practice her lines and attended every performance no matter how many days the show ran. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. They are not your blood family, but you spend so much time with them, you should treat them like family. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others. As an executive, Mr. Roberts had a knack for attracting talented people and giving them power, within limits. His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. 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. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. The magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. He was chairman of the board from 1969 to 2002. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. 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. 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. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? 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. ''Every chance I get I step back and say, 'Here is Brian.' And her husband reminisced about family trips. 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. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. To support himself at college, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including selling milk. ''It's a pretty close family. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Cancel any time, no strings attached. "So much of what he is to the public is what he was to us. "Ralph, the patient, unassuming gentleman, kept a steady hand on the wheel as they made a series of brilliant bets on the future," his son said in the biography. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. The memory of the fiasco still rankles Mr. Diller. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. The Roberts family said in a statement: "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. Brodsky, the company's longtime finance guru, on Friday described Mr. Roberts as his best friend and a "charismatic, fearless visionary" who gave people the confidence to do things they thought were impossible. 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