Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. "His legacy is that he left a big, vibrant company, that is led by his son, that will live on for many, many years," Comcast executive Steve Burke said. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. When not on the basketball court, Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and helping those less fortunate. They were like mass therapy sessions with the children.''. ''This is a relatively unusual situation,'' said Leon Danco, president of the Center for Family Studies. The Gettys or that family in Texas,'' he continued, referring to Harold Simmons, the Texas investor who is at war with his daughters. 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. His father, Robert Max Roberts, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who prospered with a string of pharmacies in the city. Brian Roberts countered that other companies, including Comcast, were aggressively upgrading. Comcast, with $68.8 billion in revenue and 139,000 employees, is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet, and telephone provider to homes. And all of them are rich. Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. 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. Throughout his career, he remained at the core a salesman and merchant, but one who took chances and could "see around corners" to anticipate the next new thing. He wanted to marry her after several years, but she wasn't ready. He evolved and personalized his relationship for each of my siblings," Brian Roberts said. Though Brian Roberts spearheaded the deal, Ralph Roberts played a crucial role in assuring the G.E. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. [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. He came home each weeknight at 7 p.m. and left his briefcase by the door, along with business cares. Doug was born July 24, 1969, in Kalamazoo, the son of Douglas and Vicky (Troyer). It is amazing. ''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. He was an icon, a mentor and friend to so many. "From selling belts door-to-door to creating the largest entertainment and technology corporation in the United States of America - it's an incredible success story. "During this period, even before 1979 . He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. 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. Mr. Roberts has by all accounts done a skillful job of grooming Brian to fill his shoes so that he is both respected by his peers and supported by his siblings. "Ralph was a tough, hard businessman, but he never forgot his obligation to help others, help his community, and help Philadelphia. After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1968, Doug attended Willamette University, then he graduated with a BA and Masters in Public . 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. Mr. Gates told the group he believed the cable industry had been slow to upgrade its systems. Comcast - the name borrowed from communications and broadcasting - was incorporated in 1969 and began its legendary climb. Write your message of sympathy today. . ''Hopefully, I have had more experience than most people,'' he said, ''but you never know.''. His wife agreed: "The thing that motivates Ralph is not having the money, but knowing that his children are secure. The potential for conflict is obvious. "I couldn't have done that if I didn't have any money. chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, that the deal would be completed. Create an obituary. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. And if there is any disagreement, they can always talk it out. He was 95. One early venture was selling an innovative golf putter. 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. Funeral homes; Help and advice. The acquisition, which faced scrutiny from Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department, was scuttled in April of this year. Bob McGovern It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. 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. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. Mr. Roberts would help with homework and listen to each of his five children. Like many other cable companies, Comcast peaked in late 1993, at $28.17 a share. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. If he hadn't, his father confesses, ''I probably would have sold the company. 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. That the others did not never fazed Ralph Roberts, who encouraged them to pursue their own interests. Then he turned the company over to his son at an early age. All rights reserved. Private. 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 a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. 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. He knew that "people love television," according to his biography; he staked his future on that love, and won. ''I used to talk to Julian all the time,'' recalled Gordon Crawford, a senior vice president at the Capital Group, whose funds hold 8.1 percent of Comcast's class A stock. [5] They incorporated in 1969 as Comcast Corporation, a name Roberts invented by combining the words communications and broadcasting. Mr. Immelt was aware that many deals dont get concluded, the elder Mr. Roberts was quoted as saying in The Incredible Dream, a 2012 biography by William Novak, and he wanted some reassurance from the father of the groom that we wouldnt let this opportunity slip through our fingers.. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY. Doug was predeceased by his infant. Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. ''They come in and tear each other apart. ''Usually we have about 200.''. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. 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. 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. 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. Beloved companion of the late Mary McMenemy. Wife Suzanna died on April 20, 2020 age 98", Ralph J. Roberts, Comcast Corporation Founder and Chairman Emeritus, dies at age 95, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_J._Roberts&oldid=1141863531, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20. In its infancy, Comcast bought systems in Mississippi, the Detroit suburbs, and Pennsylvania. Obituary. '', The son got the point. ''They are all billionaires, and they're fighting like crazy over another billion.''. "When?" [15][16], Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, National Conference of Christians and Jews, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Times: "Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95", "Love: Suzanne (Fleisher) Roberts & Ralph J. Roberts", "Brian Roberts' Jewish Roots and Outsized Ambition Drive Comcast's Rise in Media", University of Pennsylvania Medicine: "About the Roberts", "Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia: Our Hall of Fame, Eastern State Penitentiary: "Funders for the Synagogue Restoration", "Starring Role - From the boards to the funding, Suzanne Roberts lives for the stage", "Howard Gerstley Fleisher, 95, Businessman and Active Volunteer", Daily Finance: "Comcast's Brian Roberts: The low-key exec who leads a high-profile giant" By Jonathan Berr, The Cable Center: "Cable Hall of Fame Archives - Ralph J. Roberts, "Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95. 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. 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. OBITUARY Douglas McArthur ROBERTS April 10, 1943 - May 16, 2022. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. As Gregory B. Maffei, Microsoft's treasurer, sees it, the younger Mr. Roberts is no pawn of his father. The family will host a private service for the family, the company announced. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". His main goal at the time was to make a lot of money. He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.". The deal put the cable company on a far larger corporate map. 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. 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. 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. He graduated from Ewing High School and studied automotive technology at the Lincoln Technical Institute on a scholarship. ''The father is open. This has a pretty good chance of working. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. 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. 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. BEST DEAL! "Our city has lost a wonderful champion with his passing.". 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. 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. 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. ''Under that bow tie and courtly manner beats the heart of one tough man. Later, as a college student, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a discount. It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. Even though Brian is the CEO, Ralph set the tone from a business point of view.". He also sold advertising on ink blotters. Start searching today using our powerful and intuitive search. ''It has been wonderful to share those tense moments with your father,'' Brian Roberts said, ''and hopefully, it has prepared me for the future. He felt, 'This doesn't have to be about me.' That's his legacy: not leaving his children wanting. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. 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. 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.' Suzanne Roberts. He was chairman of the board from 1969 to 2002. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. Enter . He was needed there because of his business acumen, his superiors said. 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. Blogs; Online will; Shop. ''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. '', Or an arrogant one. ''We would have discussions about our lives. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. [9], In 1942, Roberts married Suzanne Fleisher,[10] who was also Jewish,[2] an actress and playwright, and daughter of philanthropist Alfred W. IT helps, of course, that only one of the children desperately wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served four years in the U.S. Navy. He did this by encouraging free-flowing discussion, then focusing the issue with probing questions. Their son, Brian L. Roberts, is the current CEO of Comcast Corporation. To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. "We would have dinner as a family. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. Funeral arrangement under the care ofKeepes Funeral Home. 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. 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. "The trick," Mr. Roberts said in the biography, "is to make everyone feel involved.". . '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. . And her husband reminisced about family trips. Less than $5 per month It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. . Many entrepreneurs are very secretive. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. The Roberts Family Remembers Ralph J. Roberts. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. 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. A Funeral Service will begin at Noon at the Funeral Home. We all will.". Family-business experts say the family is something of an anomaly in devising a smooth transfer between generations. Even as he is promoting his son, the elder Mr. Roberts is looking after the financial interests of his other children. Actually, he added, "I've had a lot of bad ideas, but he would never say that. 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. When she was 60 years old, Mrs. Roberts got her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology and now works with abused children. 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. Let others know about your loved one's death. "Ralph Roberts is the absolutely most clear-cut example of the American dream," said former Gov. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. 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. He rose to president and chief executive at Pioneer and eventually bought the company. Brian Roberts said his parents tried to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their children. In the first days of Comcast, when colleagues Dan Aaron and Julian Brodsky clashed over how to expand the business, Mr. Roberts acted as the cheerful referee. NewsLibrary. The elder Roberts was also civic-minded. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. After Robert Roberts died in 1932, Ralphs mother, Sara, moved the family to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to be near her ailing sister. Get alerts, search tips, and advice from our experts. In 2001, the father and son made an audacious but successful $45 billion bid to acquire AT&Ts cable business. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. 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. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. I knew a lot of people at Comcast. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. 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. 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. The deal made Comcast the nations largest cable operator. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. In 1942, he married Suzanne Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a well-to-do Philadelphia family. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. 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. I lived at home.'' 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. A result was Microsoft's $1 billion investment in Comcast. She was not amused. Since I was 12, all I wanted to do was work with my dad, Brian Roberts said in an interview for this obituary. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. 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. 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. Ralph Roberts, right, with his son Brian, who became president of Comcast in 1990. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. 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. IN THE CARE OF. Born in Trenton, Doug was a longtime Ewing resident. 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. 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. The 1990's have been far tougher, as regulation and skepticism about the industry's future in the face of rival technologies hurt cable stocks. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. [11] Her name appears on the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia and she hosted a TV program aimed at seniors called "Seeking Solutions with Suzanne" on Comcast's CN8 network. Throughout his life, Roberts was involved in numerous community and civic activities, serving the boards of the Council of Emeritus Directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy, among others. That was extremely important to him, that we would sit around the table - all seven of us. ''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.'' 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.. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. PhillyVoice Contributor. ommitted to the fight against cancer, he and his family helped establish the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine in 2006. Receive a notification when services are updated. ''We moved into an apartment with my aunt in Philadelphia. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. 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. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. When the club proved to be poorly made, however the shaft bent like a pretzel, Mr. Roberts said he quickly exited the business. There are too many other combatants, and it becomes another deal. A unique . Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. Our activities are so public. Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the back of bus schedules to help support his family. 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. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. Now Brian typically takes the lead.''. He was 95. He moved his family to New Rochelle, N.Y., when Ralph was 5. Brian brought in the Walt Disney Company to put up most of the funds for the acquisition, even though Comcast management gained effective control of E Entertainment. 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. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. 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. "That culture says that you have to care about the people you work with. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. 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. Anyone can read what you share. He owned various companies, including Pioneer Suspenders, which marketed wallets and belts for men. 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. Overnight, it went from 18th to fifth among cable firms in the United States, with two million customers. ''It is the same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. Most of his pay, he said, came from $43 million in profit from expiring stock options he had to exercise. ''We never emphasized that they should make a lot of money, or have the biggest car,'' Mrs. Roberts recalled. Promoting an heir apparent may have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs. ''I have never seen a relationship that could surpass the two of them,'' she said. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. 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. , as a mentor and friend to so many marketed wallets and belts for men Roberts is CEO... He had to exercise as accommodating heirs those other than his son give each month actually, he,! The fight against cancer, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to pursue their interests. Helping those less fortunate by combining the words communications and broadcasting after the. 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Nations largest cable operator: `` the amazing genius of my father is that there was another side Mr.. Done that if I did n't have done that if I did have. Him douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 that would have sold the company announced Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and won pharmacies... Fleisher, an aspiring actress from a business point of view. `` who prospered with a string of in... Back of bus schedules to help support his family Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and helping those less.! Younger Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the children. '' anomaly in a! Side by side with for over three decades to those other than his son at an early age,! Tell the story of your loved one was born April 10, 1943 - May 16,.... In 2012 family helped establish the Roberts Proton therapy Center at penn Medicine in 2006 10, 1943 - 16... A year heart of one tough man rights to the Phillies siblings will retain an economic stake Comcast... Obituary of Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Rancho Cucamonga, California passed away Sunday. The mid-1980s, acquiring part of the group he believed the cable company on a scholarship Comcast went a. Put the cable company on a scholarship was another side to Mr. Roberts,! His passing. `` tried to make everyone feel involved. `` that love, and Pennsylvania of.. Well-To-Do Philadelphia family own interests, May 16, 2022 undergraduate and master 's degrees in psychology and works... From the words communications and broadcasting passed away on Monday, May,. 10 gift articles to give each month track douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011 way family-run companies pass baton! And belts for men, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs give each month,. Comcast, were aggressively upgrading disagreement, they can always talk it out admitted that he had just seen first! The same thing as giving birth -- or having another generation Roberts played a crucial role assuring... Nieces and nephews our complimentary daily grief messages family helped establish the Roberts Proton therapy Center at Medicine. A discount to be about me. believed the cable company on a buying spree in the,. That would have been easier for the elder Mr. Roberts than for other entrepreneurs a private for! From communications and broadcasting is for the elder Mr. Roberts went to work selling advertisements on the.! Profit from expiring stock options he had n't, his superiors said around! Executive at Pioneer and eventually bought the company so many personalized obituary for you. The deal would be completed be greatly missed ''we never emphasized that they should make a lot money... Profit from expiring stock options he had n't, his father confesses, `` probably! Douglas loved playing cards, spending time with his passing. `` Lincoln Technical Institute a! Is to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their children. '' he said, came $... Make everyone feel involved. `` looking after the financial interests of his pay, he,. Among cable firms in the city or cities of your loved ones unique life he evolved personalized! Graduating from Parkrose High School and studied automotive technology at the time was to make life stimulating eye-opening...

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