Andres Roberto Laarsen

Andres Roberto Laarsen, 73, passed away at his home in Aurora, Colorado on October 22nd, 2023 after a prolonged battle with an autoimmune disease and ulcerative colitis that lead to malnourishment and his untimely death.

Andres, or Andy to his friends, was born on December 1st, 1949 to Max Laarsen and Agnesa (Ines) Buchinger (a Holocaust survivor) in Santiago, Chile.  Andres spent his formative years in Chile, and subsequently attended high school in Bournemouth, England.  After high school Andres attended the London Business School of Economics, resolving after two years that school was just not for him.

After traveling and living abroad in Barcelona, Spain, Andres Immigrated  to the United States to be closer to his father.  Upon moving to the United States he embarked on a life long career of sales and entrepreneurship tied to various industries including shoes, women’s clothing, vending machines, cookerie which was imported from his homeland of Chile and most recently real estate.  He was quite the salesman in his day as one would say he could “sell ketchup popsicles to a person wearing white gloves.”

He met his wife, Cheri, while living in Miami, FL and married the love of his life on January 10th, 1976 and remained with her for 47 years until his death.  They went on to have two children; Charles and Adam - whom he deeply cared for and spent a lifetime of traveling and adventuring with before making the families final move to Aurora, CO in 1993.

Andres had a great love for his family, skiing and soccer.  He skied next to great skiers like Stein Erikson and Billy Kidd and had even been invited to ski in the Olympics for the Chilean National Team.  He loved everything about soccer, rooting for his home country, Chile, and favorite teams including La Universidad de Chile, Juventus and Manchester United.

Andres was more reserved in his later years showing a more quiet and pensive side that wasn’t always present in his youth.  He always had room for a joke or quip to be shared and showered those around him with love.

Andres was preceded in death by his parents, Agnesa (Ines) and Max.  He is survived by his wife, Cheri, sister Susana Vavra, children Charles and Adam, daughter-in-law Marissa, grandchildren Ines and Ewan, several nieces and nephews and his loyal friend and protector to the end, Skotch.

His family would especially like to thank their mother, Cheri, for being his primary care taker for such a long period of time.

Services will be held at the Laarsen House, 15588 E Radcliff Pl. Aurora, CO on October 26th, 2023.  In lieu of sending flowers the family asks that you consider making a donation to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in his name (https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/donate).