Carlos De la Rosa

Carlos Enrique De la Rosa, age 79, passed away peacefully in his home amongst family, on August 30, 2023, after a long battle with Parkinson’s. Carlos was born to Esther and Donald De la Rosa on January 7, 1944, in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Montebello High School in 1961. Carlos was a noted athlete in many sports, most prominently track and field. He held the U.S. High School long jump record during his time in Montebello High, where he was later elected to it’s athletic hall of fame. His talents earned him a full athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California, and he was a proud lifelong Trojan. Carlos earned his B.A. from USC, his M.B.A. from UCLA and J.D. from the University of Denver. His career included time as a high school teacher and coach and later as a management consultant. In 1980, Carlos founded Jardel Enterprises, a franchisee of Burger King restaurants. The family business operated several Burger King restaurants across the Denver metro area and continues to this day. In 1994, Carlos’ Burger King restaurant became the first food and beverage concession to open at Denver International Airport. Carlos took immense pride in operating top-performing locations, and he was loved by the countless employees that he treated like family. He was a generous contributor to many philanthropic causes.

Carlos was a humble, intelligent and inspiring man with an enormous heart. He was an avid fan of his beloved Trojans and local Denver sports teams. Carlos loved traveling, laughing, and enjoying good restaurants. His greatest pride was his family. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. Carlos instilled a strong sense of ethics and integrity in all who knew him. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Mary; their children, Michael and Katherine; five grandchildren and his three siblings.

A funeral service will be held at 10am on Tuesday September 12th at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Greenwood Village. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Carlos’ name to the Parkinson’s Foundation Rocky Mountain Chapter or St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church 5555 S Yosemite St, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 https://stcatherinechurch.org/donate