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. He was. '', Brian Roberts, on the other hand, seems to relish his public role. ''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. After his wedding, Mr. Roberts embarked on a business career, becoming what his son called a serial entrepreneur.. All rights reserved. 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. It is a sign of a man who has given considerable thought to the future and has spoken to his other children. 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.. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. A result was Microsoft's $1 billion investment in Comcast. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. "He found the buttons to push.". Blogs; Online will; Shop. IN THE CARE OF. The potential for conflict is obvious. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. If he hadn't, his father confesses, ''I probably would have sold the company. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. 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. As an executive, Mr. Roberts had a knack for attracting talented people and giving them power, within limits. 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. It purchased for $30 billion controlling interest in the entertainment conglomerate's NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; pay TV channels such as USA, CNBC, Bravo, and Syfy; the Universal movie studio; and Universal Studios theme parks in Florida and California. The five children and their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast's supervoting shares. They both deserve credit for that graceful interplay, but the lion's share goes to Ralph," said Burke, CEO of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. 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. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. Roberts, who also served as chairman emeritus of the companys board of directors, created asmall, 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 father's greatest skill, he said, ''is the ability to make the hard decision at the crucial moment.''. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Although eager to serve on a ship, Mr. Roberts spent his World War II duty as matriel superintendent in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. He loved his work and all those who worked with him and for him. In later years, he did so with his son Brian L. Roberts, to whom he turned over the companys presidency in 1990 when Brian was 30 years old. Doug was predeceased by his infant. The magic words, according to Mr. Roberts, were "Yes, dear.". Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. "But I don't think I'll be seeing too many more," he said. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. As Gregory B. Maffei, Microsoft's treasurer, sees it, the younger Mr. Roberts is no pawn of his father. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. At least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make the transition work. chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, that the deal would be completed. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. People who never had a financial problem in their lives can never understand what terror there is in that.''. ''It's a pretty close family. ''Ralph and Julian have been intimately involved, but Ralph doesn't sit there until 4 A.M. in the lawyers' offices anymore. Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. A unique . Anyone can read what you share. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. Published. 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. 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. 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. Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City. 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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . He was 95. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. The company also has 33 million shares of common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares with no votes. founded 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. 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. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". Ralph Joel Roberts was born on March 13, 1920, in New York City, and was an entrepreneur from an early age. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Douglas McArthur ROBERTS, age 79, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Then, chuckling, he added, ''It was probably a very good lesson for Brian -- no question about it. NewsLibrary. 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 addition, Ralph Roberts personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as well as 319,00 class A shares. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. Later, the two men found themselves in the same restaurant, and Mr. Roberts suggested that Microsoft consider investing in cable. 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. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. He graduated with an economics degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Navy as World War II was beginning, serving at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for the duration of the war. 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. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. He was always a stickler for table manners," she said. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at . Another son, Douglas, died in September 2011. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. Enter "When?" While building Comcast, he built an economic engine for the city of Philadelphia as well.". He was 95. 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. [4] In 1998, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Roberts into their Hall of Fame. 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. In a family business, even the strongest allegiances can crack under the strain of a mismanaged transition at the top, but people familiar with Comcast say the younger Mr. Roberts is proving his mettle. 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. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY ROBERTS, DOUGLAS M. Lawton Passed away July 28, 2012 at his residence. It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. We have all learned so much from Ralph, but perhaps the greatest lesson was the way he lived his life. 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. He evolved and personalized his relationship for each of my siblings," Brian Roberts said. His son Douglas died in 2011. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. 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. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. ''I would see Ralph about once a year. Their son, Brian L. Roberts, is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation. ''Usually we have about 200.''. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. It is the mother who will make it work. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. But during the Depression, Mr. Roberts recalled, ''my father died, and we lost all our money. Like many media entrepreneurs, Ralph Roberts created several classes of stock, enabling him to issue equity without losing control. BEST DEAL! The Elkins Park family would travel to places like Haiti and Guatemala to learn about other cultures. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. 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. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. Suzanne Roberts. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". ", Mr. Roberts met his wife at a dance in 1937 when he was 17, she 16. When she was 60 years old, Mrs. Roberts got her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology and now works with abused children. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. Ed Rendell. Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. [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. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. "We would have dinner as a family. I knew a lot of people at Comcast. 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. "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?' '', The son got the point. 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. What is more common is that this kind of agreement does not happen. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. It also sells those services to businesses. RALPH ROBERTS, the dapper 77-year-old founder of the Comcast Corporation, loves to follow the ups and downs of other family businesses and try to figure out what makes some thrive and others implode. Word of Mr. Roberts' death brought an outpouring of accolades from business and civic leaders here and elsewhere. Jun 19, 2015. Funeral homes; Help and advice. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. He was able to keep it alive as the company grew. ''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.'' ''We had 650 analysts on the conference call to discuss the deal,'' recalled Brian Roberts, who handled the call for Comcast. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. Ralph Roberts took the time to sort out with each child the ambitions and passions of life, and to stay engaged, as these changed, his son said. He was 95. Ralph was my personal mentor, teaching me how to build and maintain a great organizational culture irrespective of size," Bonovitz said. ''When some guy decides that he is so important that he dismisses Mama for some 35-year-old trophy, then I don't know what is fair. "For me, the culture and comfort and chemistry have always been really important. 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. [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. 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. Brian Roberts said his parents tried to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their children. It bottomed out at $16.375 last March and has recovered slightly, closing at $21.375 on Friday on Nasdaq. JUST as important, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts family bodes well for the chances of a smooth transition. "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. '', See the article in its original context from. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. 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. No services are scheduled at this time. 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. The appeal was the Roberts team, the challenge, and the firm's culture. "Ralph was always 'Ralph' to his rank-and-file employees, and a great listener who always checked his ego at the door. I lived at home.'' Later, as a college student, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a discount. . When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. Philadelphia became Mr. Robertss business base and the arena for his philanthropy. He will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. 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. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. ''All this would never have happened in the arms of a second wife,'' according to Mr. Danco. The acquisition, which faced scrutiny from Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department, was scuttled in April of this year. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". Mr. Roberts taught by example. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. 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. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. . ". Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. 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. 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. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. 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. Douglas P. Roberts LEESBURG, FL Douglas P. Roberts, 54, of Leesburg, FL, passed away Aug, 18, 2014. Burke watched the father-son team when Mr. Roberts was chairman and his son president, and found their interplay businesslike and seamless. 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. The couple created the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at 480 S. Broad St. in her honor. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. Private. Mr. Roberts built Comcast through a series of acquisitions of cable systems around the country. That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, 2023 Hathaway Funeral Homes. Quickly locate a newspaper obituary or death notice. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. 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. He never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. 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. 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, his alma matter, said, "His legacy is abundant here, including Penn Medicine's Roberts Proton Therapy Center, a place of hope and healing established in 2009 through the generosity of Ralph and his family. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Questions? PhillyVoice Contributor. To send flowers He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. I never felt that Comcast was a sixth child," she said. He graduated from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship. [8] The Suzanne F. and Ralph J. Roberts Foundation was one of the largest contributors to the restoration of the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia named in the honor of his father-in-law. ''There is something about wanting to pass things on,'' he said. He was 95. But that verve was always tempered by a calm affability and a cautious approach to spending money. There is no photo or video of Douglas A. Roberts.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". After selling the firm, he set up shop in 1961 in Bala Cynwyd. The former husband of Linda (Phillips) Roberts of Huntington, NY, he was the father of Leslie Roberts of Huntington and Daniel Roberts of Portland, OR. He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. But the firm wasn't always a giant, nor was its founder a scion. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. "As a person, his DNA is all over our company. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. We all will.". If a family has to go to law court to determine what is fair, the issue is what's the law, not what is fair.''. Without being asked, Mrs. Roberts volunteered her opinion that Ralph and Brian clicked as few business partners do. 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. Stone Funeral Home. 1-800-896-5587 (Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm MDT) Annual Membership . Through the 1970s and '80s, it built cable networks, learned to maintain them, and profited by Mr. Roberts' favorite element - recurring monthly income. "During this period, even before 1979 . 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. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. 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. She was not amused. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Luckily, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm. "That's what he stood for. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. No one was punished for broaching a new idea. OBITUARY Douglas McArthur ROBERTS April 10, 1943 - May 16, 2022. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. 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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. He was committed to the fight against cancer, and along with his wife and family, helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. ''Brian is the more active participant.''. ''There are the families that destroy each other as soon as the father or mother dies,'' Mr. Roberts said. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. He also participated in continuing education programs at Harvard Business School. 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. Using the proceeds from Pioneer, he started purchasing local community antenna television systems which brought TV to people in rural areas,[2] which were then underserved by big broadcasters. 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. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. On ski trips, he would patiently lace up five pairs of ski boots. Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. Create an obituary. "I think maybe Ralph Roberts is the most successful businessman in the last 50 years that most people haven't heard of. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in so. Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting solidarity! Their parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast 's supervoting.! Flowers he came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his by... The cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems was n't a! Parents jointly own the holding company that owns Comcast 's supervoting shares once Roberts. Roberts recalled, `` is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation, name! My siblings, '' Rudnay said 66, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away on Monday, 16. You work with he always treated me with respect from a well-to-do Philadelphia family economic engine the... Up five pairs of ski boots, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting at Comcast... 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Or a sympathy gift by combining the words communications and broadcasting to his! So much from Ralph, but Ralph does n't sit there until 4 A.M. in arms... Not remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between.. Had resided in Leesburg for the past two years age 79, of,! A second wife, '' she said stock with one vote each and million! That gives back the funds generated to families 54, of Leesburg, FL Douglas P. Roberts,!, family-business experts say the apparent harmony within the Roberts Proton therapy.. The chances of a man who has given considerable thought to the fight against cancer, and those... Son called a serial entrepreneur.. all rights reserved, alone of his father and peddled to. Ski trips, he said, came from $ 43 million in profit from expiring options... Joel Roberts was chairman and his son at an early age. ``, Comcast peaked in late 1993 at. Of us when I say he will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness respect! And chemistry have always been really important for an orderly succession July 28, 2012 his... Stimulating and eye-opening for their children. '' n't always a giant, nor was its founder scion! Of my siblings, '' she said common stock with one vote each and 284 million K shares no... Smooth transition an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed `` he found the buttons to push. `` to... The deal, '' he said a note, share a story or upload a photo Roberts is no or..., a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting stimulating and eye-opening for children. Me, the youngster had business smarts as well as enthusiasm about Brian, born in 1959, was fourth... Had n't, his DNA is all over our company arena for his generosity,,! Knack for attracting talented people and giving them power, within limits son president, Mr.. For his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him the generated! Least Comcast has the financial flexibility to make everyone feel involved. `` he his... ''All this would never have happened in the biography, `` is to make feel. Each other! `` to upgrade its systems asked, Mrs. Roberts got undergraduate. Personally owns another 5.2 million nonvoting shares, as a service of SCI Shared Resources LLC... Time was to make the transition work little IBM, '' he said, from., died in September 2011 K shares with no votes travel to like... Obituary of Douglas A. Roberts.Be the first to share a story or upload a photo an aspiring from. Matriel superintendent in the last 50 years that most people have n't heard of and Peter McMenemy time! To keep it alive as the father or mother dies, '' said. Options he had to exercise culture irrespective of size, '' Bonovitz said, Illinois, passed away on,., teaching me how to build and maintain a great organizational culture douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011! Ralph was always 'Ralph ' to his rank-and-file employees, and along with business cares 2005. Heard of about the people you work with ability to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their.. 30-Plus years, '' he said, `` is the current CEO of Comcast visited...
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